Up until now, Valentine’s Day has been a respected holiday for lovers to exchange gifts and celebrate the relationship they have. It’s a joyous occasion to honor relationships, but one could argue that it’s a misleading scam. It’s been demeaned by society and no longer holds the lovely sentiment it once had. Single people all over feel shame and sadness for not having anyone romantically in their life.

Not only that, but Valentine’s Day has become a big thing that’s being advertised weeks ahead, almost like another December holiday that people quickly forget the meaning of. Does Valentine’s Day still have good value or has society today ruined the holiday forever? This holiday creates more harm than good and here’s why you should believe it too.

Valentine’s Day has helped many couples throughout the years, but it’s never done anything for the singles. The holiday only brings them sadness and anger. The single people of the world have always had this slight hatred towards this holiday. It reminds people of heartbreak and rejection. It’s not all that fun when you’re upset over your crush not liking you or your boyfriend or girlfriend cheating on you.

Recent studies from a dating app called “Plenty of Fish” conclude that 43 percent of singles view Valentine’s Day as the most pressure-filled day of the year, with 1 in 5 wishing it was cancelled altogether. As the study shows 60 percent of Gen Z and 52 percent of Millennials feel the pressure, which they agree comes from society, social media hype, and the countless advertisements. Eighty percent of singles are not looking forward to this day and that number seems to be rising with 1 in 10 adults feeling lonely on February 14th. The effect Valentine’s Day has is very detrimental to self-esteem and is not helping anyone. The pressure is real and it’s not just affecting singles.

Another problem with this holiday is that it isn’t helping those in a relationship either. Once couples get married, the hype around Valentine’s Day fades away and it’s just another day. It loses its specialty because they already celebrate one another every day, so it’s practically useless.

On the other hand, short or long time duos may like the initial idea of Valentine’s Day, but they also feel the pressure, just a different kind of pressure. Not everyone sees the big deal with Valentine’s Day so it can be hard for a couple if one is very excited, while the other doesn’t care about the holiday. The pressure to get a special gift or an expensive dinner makes it hard for people in the relationship to celebrate with their partner. 

About 1 in 14 adults say that they’ve broken up with someone on Valentine’s Day or around Valentine’s Day and 1 in 12 say they’ve broken up shortly after the holiday. It’s obvious that Valentine’s Day isn’t helping couples as much as it isn’t singles. 

On the contrary, 20 percent of Americans still believe in the magic of Valentine’s Day. They argue it’s good for expressing feelings and rededicating oneself to their partner. Twenty-seven percent of Americans think Valentine’s Day is a good way to show others how you feel about them and 20 percent believe Valentine’s Day is romantic. While this is all true, it doesn’t change the fact that this holiday hurts people as well. It’s a little naive to think that it still has the meaningfulness that it once had.

So what’s left, what’s the point, and why is it still here? It’s simple, Valentine’s Day provides money for candy companies and other big corporations. Lately Valentine’s Day ads have become more frequent with stores putting their decorations up fairly early. This is no coincidence as giant corporations are making lots of money. Although 46 percent of Americans believe Valentine’s Day is too commercialized, we still love to buy good Valentine’s Day chocolates and candies, whether we’re in a relationship or single. They are scamming us into buying “special” candy and goods by using Valentine’s Day as a special occasion. 

I believe that Valentine’s Day is overrated and it has lost its meaning. It has become a pressure-filled, stress-inducing sham that’s hurting singles and ruins relationships. Agree or disagree, but they are scamming us off of an idea that once was beautiful but is now mediocre. I’m not saying it’s horrible and we should get rid of it, but I am saying it has lost most of its value and it’s not doing what it was made to do.

If Valentine’s Day was a person, it would be a sellout. All in all, we are letting corporations make money off of the burden and all around waste of a day, we call Valentine’s Day. So this February 14th, stay aware of the darker sides of this seemingly “innocent” (in a way) holiday, but also try to celebrate and rekindle the old glory and tradition that is Valentine’s Day.