Modern dating being more transactional

I have been thinking a lot lately on how confusing the Nepalese dating scene has become.

Even as a single guy who’s open-minded, educated, and genuinely looking for something real, it feels like finding “the one” is harder than ever. Not because there’s a lack of people... there’s an abundance, actually..but because everyone seems to be playing a different game.

I hv noticed a strange trend lately: married men and women engaging with singles, emotionally or physically, has become much more common than it used to be. Affairs, secret online chats, “situationships,” and emotional cheating are somehow getting normalized. I’m not judging anyone’s choices, but it’s starting to blur the lines between what’s real and what’s just temporary validation.

As someone who’s not looking to be part of that cycle, it’s frustrating. Dating apps are full of gray areas, profiles with hidden intentions, people seeking “companionship” outside their marriage, or singles who’ve just given up trying to trust. The emotional mess in all this makes a genuine connection feel almost like a myth

Has anyone else noticed this shift? Are we growing emotionally distant, or is it just that modern lifestyles and expectations have made relationships more transactional? How are you handling this new, challenging phase of love in Nepal? I'd love to hear from both men and women.