A recent Psychologies article delved into the reason behind why some people, women in particular, tend to remain single for much of their lives.
The female author reflected on her own life experience and wondered if friends were the reason she was single. Her research led her to a book ("The Single Trap") by Andrew G Marshall which described how some people are too heavily invested in platonic relationships, leaving little room for romantic ones.
Despite this revelation, the single author also wrote about her dread of questions regarding her love life, likening the social situation to one where someone having an IVF is asked whether they are pregnant yet. And here is the problem. Society seems to be ok with single men and not-so-young eligible bachelors, but when it comes to women the public consensus is that they should get married eventually.
This, of course, is predominantly a Western problem, but it does replicate itself in many countries across the globe. With rising standards and population numbers women have to work harder than ever to reach a good level of financial stability. This involves going through years of further education and countless late nights at work climbing the career ladder. And then, being the well rounded individuals that we women are, we like to spend some time on hobbies and unfortunately have to also sort out menial housework. With all of that going on, who has the time for dating? Is it really a surprise that marriage and first births are happening much later in women's lives today then a few decades ago?
The life of the modern female professional is not everyone's cup of tea. The tough economic climate and rising demands from employers have pushed some women into what the past female generation which was raised to believe women should provide for themselves would see as appalling. This 'something' is called shopping for sugar daddies.
Fuelled by an appetite for millionaire hunting, hundreds of young women gather at special dating events like the New York Sugar Daddy convention. During such events women in search of a luxury lifestyle mingle with successful bachelors in the hopes that they will make an arrangement (i.e. the exchange of generous financial support for companionship).
Why do these women do it? They feel the need to be around successful, rich men in order to have status. They also don't want to spend 15 hours a day working their ass off in order to reach their lifestyle goals when they can be making up to £240 per date.
There are also less shallow reasons why women are in search of the so called sugar daddies and that's business investor recruitment. How successful they are at achieving this through such dating events is questionable, but one thing is for certain - these women are looking for a short-cut to success and wealth.
But aren't we all? Who wouldn't want to have their private yacht taking them on a tour of the Maldives or their own jet dropping them off in different cities across the globe? Who wouldn't want not to worry about paying bills and saving for the next holiday?
Although sugar daddy dating is a step to far (and it's aggravating gender inequalities), it is a blatant example of how money focused our society has become. So much so that we are willing to abandon the values of female independence and success previous generations worked so hard to instil in us.
