Search Results: becoming exclusive in a relationship

I believe there is a difference between dating and being in a relationship with another person. “Relationship” entails exclusivity and dating means what? Going on several dates with one/multiple people? In reference to meeting up with one person, at what point is it considered dating before ever possibly becoming exclusive? And I know dating can also be used to describe how you’re going about seeing someone you’re already in a relationship with.

I personally despise the current dating trends going on, and though it may make me seem old, I miss when people would just pick someone they liked and be their boyfriend/girlfriend right off the bat instead of "talking to" them for months without "labeling" what they had. In my eyes, if you like someone and they like you, there should be no reason not to be official and exclusive with each other, but I have friends who were "seeing" each other (dating) for literally a year before referring to each other as boyfriend/girlfriend, changing relationship statuses online, telling friends/family about each other, etc.
My question is- if you really like someone, and they really like you, what's the longest you would be with them before labeling them as your boyfriend/girlfriend, telling the world you're in a relationship, changing relationship statuses, becoming "official"/exclusive, and all that?