Ankit Sharma
ankit.cloudnine@gmail.com
Valentine’s Day is celebrated as a days to express love. Traditionally, it marked the courage to express affection, to choose someone and to celebrate connection in a busy world. Over time, chocolates replaced letters, posts replaced conversations and Valentine’s Day slowly became louder than love itself. Yet, at core , the idea remains simple, to pause and acknowledge what love means to us. And that meaning changes with generations.
How Love was celebrated by Millennials
For millennials, love was slow and intentional. Valentine’s Day meant planning ahead, saving money and gathering courage. One rose mattered. One phone call carried weight. A simple message like ” Reached Home?” could last an entire day. Love did not demand constant reassurance. Silence wasn’t panic, it was patience. Relationships grew organically, without labels like “situation-ship” or “soft launch”. You adjusted, waited and hoped, sometimes too much but commitment was assumed, not questioned.
Gen Z’s Perception of Love
Gen Z experiences love in a world that never switches off. Dating apps, instant replies and public emotions have changed expectations. Valentine’s Day is no longer about one grand gesture, its about emotional availability, clarity and mental peace. Gen Z falls in love fast because life moves fast, but they walk just as quickly when confusion takes over. Silence isn’t romantic anymore, it’s suspicious. Situation-ships exist not because Gen Z fears commitment, but because they seek clarity before attachment. Love today come with boundaries, not because feelings are shallow, but because choices are endless.
Need to understand Gen Z
Millennials often see Gen Z love as casual or fragile, while Gen Z views millennial love as emotionally quiet and overly tolerant of discomfort. The difference is not in values, but in context. Millennials learned to adjust, Gen Z learned to protect peace. What earlier generations called patience, this generation calls it emotional fatigue. Boundaries are not walls, they are instructions. Understanding this shift matters, because love evolves with the world around it, even when the heart remains the same.
Valentine Day for Gen Alpha
Gen Alpha is growing up watching both generations. With AI, screens and constant digital presence, love for them may not be about roses or restaurants. It may be about attention in a distracted world. Presence will become the rarest and most valuable expression of affection. Valentine’s Day for Gen Alpha may move beyond celebration to intention, choosing connection over convenience.
Soldier and Monk’s Take on Valentine and Love
A Soldier believes love is commitment, showing up, standing firm and staying even when it’s not comfortable. A Monk believes love is awareness, letting go of ego, fear and unnecessary attachment. Together, they believe Valentine’s Day is not about pressure or performance, but reflection. Romance may change with time, but values should not. Love Aaj Kal may look different but the heart beneath it remains human. This Valentine, let’s pledge to:-
* Value Clarity over confusion- Love should calm us, not constantly test us.
* Respect boundaries- our own and other’s without taking it personally.
* Choose consistency over intensity- daily efforts matters more than one perfect day.
* Celebrate love beyond social media- real moments don’t need filters
* Stay human in digital world- presence is the most underrated love language.
* Lisen more than we assume- love grows in understanding, not in conclusions.
* Express appreciation openly- don’t wait for perfect moments
* Stop romanticising emotional suffering- love is not meant to hurt repeatedly.
* Accept that everyone loves differently- comparison only creates pressure.
* Be honest about intentions- mixed signals create real damage.
* Let go when needed, with grace- endings can be respectful too.
* Celebrate self-respect as part of romance- loving others starts with valuing oneself.
The post Love Aaj Kal : Millennials, Gen Z and Gen Alpha appeared first on Daily Excelsior.