Valentine's Day - Is it about Love?

Is Valentine Day more about money than emotion? The question will perhaps offend those who swear by their unstinting love, and for whom money and love are non-relatable objects. However, a lot of people have to count the money for their love rather than count only on their love.

A few weeks back, I came across an article that spoke about the economics of romance and how youngsters on the look out for love were being priced out of the dating market. Love and romance are commodities, which have to be bought and the stakes are indeed high. It is not a place for mortals with shallow pockets; they could end up sucking their thumb, literally.

It might seem harsh and everyone might not agree with me, but modern day romance and dating are about everything besides love; maybe not in entirety but certainly in the majority.

Valentine’s day nowadays is about providers and receivers. Large and small enterprises grab this opportunity to act as providers and end up making big time money. From simple Valentine’s Day cards to gifts, food items, special love packages from tour operators and hotels, each one knows how to weigh their pound-of-flesh. Telecommunication companies too, love this lover’s day as it witnesses a surge in messages and conversations driving up their revenue. At the other end of the chain is the receiver, consisting of the couple, who need to invest in love.

Nikhil is a youngster, is a typical receiver in this provider-receiver chain. He has landed his first job six months back and is looking forward to the cherished Valentine’s Day outing with his new girlfriend. He has planned for this day and the planning is not about anything else but money. It is the budget that has put a lot of thought into. According to the Valentine's Day Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, 53 percent of women would end a relationship if they didn’t get something on Valentine’s Day. A super gift, a treat, and logistics are going to cost him around twenty thousand rupees. This according to him is the minimum he should be able to afford as otherwise, it would not be much fun.

Here are some interesting Valentine’s Day statistics from statisticsbrain, who have compiled the data in the US and provides data from 2015. (http://www.statisticbrain.com/valentines-day-statistics/)

Valentine’s Day Statistics	Data
Average annual Valentine’s Day spending	$13,290,000,000
Number of Valentine’s Day cards exchanged annually	180 Million
Average number of roses produced for Valentine’s Day	198,000,000
Percent of Valentine’s Day cards bought by women	85 %
Percent of all flowers purchased by men	73 %
Percent of women who send themselves flowers on Valentine’s Day	14 %
Amount the average consumer spends on Valentine’s Day	$116.21
Percent of consumers who celebrate Valentine’s Day	61.8 %

Statistic Sources & References Sources:

Retail Advertising and Marketing Association, Valentine's Day Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey

Content Author: Statistic Brain

Date research was conducted: January 24, 2016

So what is it that youngsters’ of today are actually looking for on Valentine’s Day? Is it love, sex, and intimacy? Perhaps the answer to this question is not that simple. In the Indian context, the gradual breakdown of the joint family set up has seen nuclear families with working couples bring up single or two children in many cases. This has led to a situation where there is a craving for intimacy and love amongst these children. With career priorities rising each day, children are born and brought up by parents to ensure that they have a great career in the future. Many a time the child is put through rigorous study routines and even denied time for mixing with friends and going out to play.

Once their education is over and these young adults step out into the world, they try to make up for the lost time. Often, these youngsters are socially awkward as they have not socialized much, even if they have, the concept of love which they carry with them are shaped by the influence of media- television and movies. Ubiquitous websites are there to help find partners. At the click of the mouse, they list out suitable matches, with photographs, phone numbers, and all relevant details, based on likes and preferences.

The commercial world is eager to get these youngsters to spend and thus they package love and lay it out on a platter. From chocolate boxes in fancy ribbons to mobile phones, jewelry, the list is endless. Anything and everything, available for a price. Woo your loved ones and enjoy the bliss. Love is to be expressed through gifts and messages. It is an investment for spending intimate time and experience a good feeling, somewhat like a high after drugs.

So where does this leave poor love in the bargain? Well, it is a gamble. If the chemistry or rather the arrangement works out, then, the investment has been worth, else better luck next time. Just as the guy in the article mentioned above, said, “I can’t afford to keep spending on “love” with zero returns on my investments”.

So what should we look forward to? May be sooner than later people will realize that it would be better to invest in those things, which will enrich their lives above all.