In a first-of-its-kind move, Delhi University's course for Gen Z students promises to unpack the emotional landmines of dating in the age of Instagram, Tinder and instant swipes.
In a first-of-its-kind move, Delhi University is giving Gen Z students a crash course in the complexities of modern love.
From awkward friendships to gaslighting and ghosting, the new elective Negotiating Intimate Relationships promises to unpack the emotional landmines of dating in the age of Instagram, Tinder and instant swipes.
With a spate of relationship-fuelled crimes rattling Delhi, DU's psychology department hopes that teaching emotional intelligence may prove more life-saving than theoretical lectures.
It's not just about romance -- it's about responsibility, consent, conflict and building the tools to walk away before things turn toxic. Or worse, criminal.
Forget Shakespearean sonnets, Delhi University students will now study love in the language of emojis, boundary-setting and breakup survival.
The psychology department has announced a new four-credit elective, Negotiating Intimate Relationships, aimed at helping undergraduates navigate romance in a high-stakes, hyper-digital world.
The curriculum couldn't be more timely. India has seen a sharp uptick in violent crimes stemming from failed or obsessive relationships, including gruesome murders by current or former partners.
These incidents have sparked alarm about what young people aren't learning -- not from books, but from life: How to handle rejection, jealousy, emotional manipulation or even the end of a relationship.
'This course is not about telling students how to fall in love,' said a university faculty member involved in the syllabus design. 'It's about giving them the tools to not fall apart.'
Open to any undergraduate with a basic understanding of psychology, the course unfolds over four key modules:
But don't expect chalk-and-talk lectures. The course is experiential, blending cinema, social media analysis and group reflection.
Students will critique love stories in pop culture -- like Kabir Singh or Titanic -- to spot problematic tropes. They'll analyse their own digital behaviour to understand patterns of dependency, perform breakup roleplays and learn how to say 'no' without guilt.
One goal is to de-normalise the idea that intense love justifies harmful behaviour. The faculty wants to counter what one psychologist called the 'emotional vacuum' that leads some youth to spiral into obsession or violence when relationships falter.
There's also a digital hygiene component. With many crimes triggered by social media surveillance and breakups turning into stalking or revenge, students will be asked to reflect on their online boundaries, privacy habits and emotional resilience when faced with rejection.
'We see students acing economics and coding but completely lost in dealing with heartbreak or toxic behaviour,' said one DU professor. 'This course is emotional education -- a skill for life.'
As love turns algorithmic, and heartbreaks play out on reels and stories, Delhi University's bold curriculum recognises that dating is no longer just personal -- it's political, psychological and increasingly, dangerous.
In a city where obsession can turn deadly, Negotiating Intimate Relationships might just be the most important class students take.
