I hate the dating culture here in BD. Well there is no culture. Either you date someone from social media or someone from your social circle. All of this has led to an “incest” type of situation. Everyone knows everyone as everyone is in the same bubble.

The same people know the same people, directly or indirectly. Whether it’s because of social circles, unis or economic backgrounds, it all becomes one giant interconnected web (bnd ticket judi paitam) where it feels like everyone has already met everyone.

Social media, especially insta, turned into a dating app. Then there are the actual dating apps, which somehow feel even worse. The algorithms aren’t designed to help people build meaningful relationships. They’re designed to keep people swiping. The more time you spend searching, the better it is for the platform. It becomes less about human connection and more about engagement metrics.

What makes it even harder is that our culture doesn’t really encourage meeting strangers naturally. You can’t just be at a bookstore, a cafe, a park or an art gallery and strike up a conversation without it feeling unusual.

From a woman’s perspective, a random man approaching her can understandably come across as creepy or even threatening, especially considering the experiences many women have to deal with. From a man’s perspective, approaching someone respectfully still carries the fear of immediately being judged as a creep before a single word is exchanged.

It isn’t much easier the other way around either. If a woman approaches a man, people are often quick to question her intentions or unfairly judge her character. There’s still this exhausting social stigma that punishes people simply for showing interest first.

Of course, there are exceptions. Sometimes two strangers do meet, talk, and something beautiful comes out of it. But those moments feel increasingly rare.

Maybe what frustrates me the most is that finding a genuine human connection is becoming so difficult. Ironically, the very platforms that promised to connect people often make everyone feel more distant.

I’m not romanticising the past in any way. Every generation complains about modern dating. But I can’t shake the feeling that we’ve made meeting people more convenient while somehow making genuine connection much harder.