Is there a problem with young people such as myself hanging out these days instead of going out on dates? The answer is , yes. Dating is essential to getting to know someone intimately enough to know if you should marry them. Although it is nice to hang out sometimes, I think we need to remember that going on dates is just, if not more, important. The three ways to know if it is a date is the three P's. If it's planned for, payed for, and you're paired off.