Dating: A Shift In Date Night

Studies have shown a shift in dating habits — specifically that “date night” has shifted from the weekend to weeknights, most often Wednesday and Thursday and usually among single people in their 20s and 30s who are seeking (or in) new relationships.

Here’s why this is happening:

Weekends have more date value now. The reason that date night has shifted to a week night is because there are more dates to be had, and the nights of the week have taken on a new value system. Friday and Saturday nights are now hard core date nights reserved for monogamous or serious dating as well as double dating for marrieds and singles.

Week night dates are for early in the relationship dates. First, second and third dates where the future of the relationship is less certain than later on down the dating line, are relegated to week nights because these dates are ostensibly early nights for dating. Dinner dates and home in time to be in bed for a good eight hours before waking for work the next morning is what week night dating is all about.

Single parents have child-free week nights. Single parents often have a Wednesday night or some other weeknight child-free. Traditional custody plans have one parent getting custody of a child every other weekend and one night a week. That one night a week leaves the other parent free to date without getting a babysitter.

More dates require more date nights. Internet dating and the plethora of singles have made it possible to have a lot of dates in one week requiring more date nights than usual. Week nights come in handy for these times.