7 dating problems millennials have to deal with that their parents never had to

• Technology and social norms have changed the way people date in the 21st century.
• While technology has made some aspects of dating more convenient, it has also made it a lot less personal.
• Millennials are waiting longer to get married, and are more comfortable with having sex without a long-term commitment.

Dating has gone through some major changes over the years.

The rules regarding how singles meet, where they go, and who foots the bill are a lot more fluid than they were just a generation ago.

Apps and the Internet can expand your dating pool far beyond the boundaries of your immediate neighborhood, and allow you to gather intelligence on a person before you meet face to face.

But there are some aspects of dating in the 21st century that are a lot more complicated and potentially more dangerous than what your parents had to deal with.

SEE ALSO: 6 ways millennials have it easier than their parents did

Social media can tell you too much about a potential partner, and it can tell others too much about your relationship.

Social media is one of the best ways to get the dirt on a potential partner without having to hire a private investigator. A quick scan through their friend list and photos can give you a closer look at their political views, hobbies, and even what they had for dinner last night.

But all of that information can come at a price. Knowing too much about a potential partner before you even meet them can lead to you walking into a date with a preconceived notion of how that person is going to be. If you already think you have your date all figured out, you might see them only as you want to, as opposed to how they actually are. Plus, a first date is always more fun if you actually have things to talk about that you don't have to pretend you don't already know.

Dating in the age of Facebook and Instagram can also be complicated — especially when you're still trying to decide how to define yourselves. Seemingly simple decisions like posting a picture of the two of you together or changing your relationship status to make your coupling Facebook official can become problematic if you're not ready to share your news with your best friend from third grade and your Great Aunt in Iowa.

The definition of a date has changed.

For your parents, a date may have looked something like this: your father picked your mother up from her home – probably with a bouquet of flowers in hand – escorted her to dinner or a movie, and dropped her off at her door with a polite promise to call her in the morning.

Today, a date can be anything from meeting your partner and a bunch of friends at a bar to Netflix and chillin' at home. And while one could argue that any time together can be quality time, it can be easy to get complacent and let these kinds of less-than-romantic options become the norm.

Figuring out who pays is much more complicated.

As the rules of dating have evolved, so have the rules regarding who foots the bill. Back in the day, it was understood that when a man asked a woman on a date, he was also accepting responsibility for paying.

But today, it's just as likely that either party is doing the asking. Expecting anyone who self identifies as a man to pick up the tab could be perceived as either totally chivalrous or totally sexist. Unless you've both agreed on who's paying ahead of time, you could find yourself doing the awkward paycheck tango at the end of your meal.