My recent pet peeve at my college as a single person is watching seemingly happy couples show off how great they are through public displays of affection (PDA). While none of it is too disgusting, there seems to be an annoying expectation at my uni for people to couple up to be respected and follow traditions, which are numerous at my college. A famous tradition is to “score one with a date when the team scores”, while outside football games I am pressured both directly and indirectly by friends and various social groups to find a date to pretty much do everything with, school, life, all of its bells and whistles. People’s PDA used to make me feel like a pathetic loser for being single, but after doing counseling for a year and a half, remembering how my parents didn’t even really date/marry until their early 30s, and keeping myself occupied with school and hobbies (hiking, concerts, spending an abundance of time with besties and family) I love the freedom and independence that comes with being single. So now the pressure is gone to find a relationship, which I really don’t have the time and energy for at this point in time. Though I no longer feel like romance equals happiness, I still get quite irritated when people flaunt PDA and romantic things in person or social media because as stated, collegiate society here seems to put couples on a pedestal, while women whom I have fancied but currently coupled also seem to happily rub in my face that they are taken and there’s nothing I can do about it. I still feel like a fish out of water because in my part of the states people are more chill about PDA's, while I get pretty uncomfortable with such activity. Guess I could move to Europe or Canada, where I can find more people who feel the same way about PDAs.

What should I do to not get so chapped with couples and PDA’s? How can I ignore the pressure imposed by society to couple up? I really appreciate you guys here on PC.