“Are you guys talking?” is one of the most commonly asked questions concerning teenage relationships. This concept is relatively new, specifically for our generation, but where does it come from? The definition of talking is so confusing that even people who are talking can not describe it.

In the classic 1980s chick flicks and romantic comedies, there had never before been a mention of the relationship status “talking.” Webster’s Dictionary defines talking as “to engage in speech,” but somehow this term has adopted many more meanings as well. In today’s era, people have created their own definitions of “talking.” It has become our generation’s outlet from the official title of dating. Today’s society has been promoting the commitment-free lifestyle, with the ability to change relationship statuses in one click or finding a new significant other with a single swipe right. Despite the countless means of communication available at our fingertips, it seems that communication is at an all-time low.

“Talking means that you are not exclusive but there are mutual feelings present,” said junior Maddy Mueller.

We understand that two people must partake in conversation, though this might feel like a blow to some, but getting the 3-day streak on Snapchat does not mean you are talking. So how do we know when two people have reached that “talking” stage?

“People are known by their groups of friends to have a mutual interest in each other but are not yet official. They text, talk, Snapchat daily and hang out with each other in groups of friends or just with each other on the weekend,” said junior Jeff Giesmann.

Everything one does while supposedly “talking” is almost identical to what one does while dating. Why does there need to be a distinction between the two when in reality, there is no visible transition?

“The difference between talking and dating is that talking isn’t as serious. Talking is when you flirt but you can’t really care what the other person does because you [don’t have the title of] dating,” said freshman Caroline Staebell.

The only problem with “talking” is that people still become upset and treat the situation as though it is exclusive. So why even consider a “talking” stage? Relationships are not worth having today when exclusivity can easily be avoided by the title “talking.” There is no more need to chase after that someone special — boys don’t pick up girls for dates any more and “getting to know each other” is having late-night text conversations.

Although talking is similar to dating in a lot of ways, it serves as a pre-relationship/getting-to-know-each-other phase. “Talking” has the connotation of intending to eventually date. However, on many occasions it never makes it to the actual relationship. “Talking” shouldn’t be replacing the relationship; instead, it should be helping teenagers discover what they are looking for in a person.