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Research suggests that those under the age of 35 are staying single and avoiding relationships. What could this spell for the future, and how might this impact Gen Z?
Are you single? A Gen Zer? Perhaps…dare I ask, both?
Research suggests that young people are increasingly less likely to settle down or even jump into a relationship. In the UK, only 58% of Gen Z women and 56% of Gen Z men are expected to get married, according to the Office for National Statistics, which is lower than any generation preceding them.
Singlehood is now a far more accepted part of growing up, too. A study by Tinder found that 70% of 18-25 year-olds make a deliberate decision to be on their own for an extended period of time in order to work on themselves. As we’ve previously explored, Gen Z are all about using health and self-improvement to cultivate a greater sense of agency amidst a hyper-competitive, destabilising world.
This need to feel internally put together and self-fulfilled intensifies our desire to be independent. It’s partly why running clubs are so popular and why hustle culture is thriving with both Gen Z and Millennials. There isn’t a societal necessity to be with a partner today in the way there always has been.
Why is this happening? Experts have a range of theories, citing the pandemic, an increasing reliance on technology to communicate, a more democratic dating market, a widening gender gap, and evolving social expectations as primary factors. The planet is overloaded and warming up, with our capitalist conventions being stretched to their very limits. House prices are up, food is extortionate, and many of us simply don’t have the time or mental capacity to support someone else.
Commentators are both worried and enthusiastic about what this might all mean in equal measure. As The Economist outlines, Americans aged 25-34 are now twice as likely to be living without a spouse or partner than fifty years ago, and the number of people living alone has risen in wealthier countries since 2010. The long-term effects this may have are still being observed and understood, but we’re already seeing them impact Gen Z in real time.
Let’s look at the positives. Thanks to the rise of dating platforms like Hinge, Bumble, and Tinder, it’s never been easier to seek out a partner that fits your standards or lifestyle. They may be a slog and are often avoided – so much so that Gen Z are trying activities like speed dating – but they do, at the very least, give you a place to romantically meet someone of an appropriate age and background.
Changing societal conventions also ease the pressure of marriage and serious life commitments. As Gen Z contemplates never having children and making their way in the world solo, it becomes less taboo to reject the notion of traditional partnerships. Being thirty and single is not a failure, but rather a choice. There is breathing room to navigate life authentically – and this might be why divorce rates have been declining since the 1990s.
We’re now pickier about who we want to be with. Thanks to social media, it’s far simpler to foster new connections than it ever was thirty years ago. Our range of potential partners is no longer limited to a five mile radius around our hometown, leaving greater space for choice and higher standards. This, in turn, can help us avoid abusive relationships, becoming trapped in bad situations, or putting all of our eggs into one basket.
Yet, with all our modern independence and resources, Gen Z remains a notoriously lonely cohort. Their social skills are in sharp decline as they spend less on booze and stay at home more. Drinking fewer pints is undoubtedly a good thing, but it may also be impacting their ability to make friends and widen their net. Covid kept a large chunk of teenagers and twenty-somethings at home during their formative years when new friends and experiences are ordinarily made, leaving a vacuum that has yet to fully recover.
And while dating apps do indeed give us better access to new romantic partners, it is also encouraging greater divide between genders. Incel culture is driving animosity toward women for simply having more choice and stronger preferences as the dating pool widens, partly leading to the emergence of figures such as Andrew Tate who feed on the insecurities of impressionable teenagers. The ‘manosphere’ is a largely new phenomena, spurred on by young men who feel they’re undesirable as a result of modern dating.
A society that turns away from conventional coupling may also face long-term economic challenges. With fewer children, we could see populations become top-heavy as the number of senior citizens dwarfs young people. This may lead to a shortage of skills, gaps in services, and far more payouts from pension schemes and government healthcare providers.
That’s tomorrow’s problem. For now, Gen Z are taking on the world of dating in an unprecedented way, navigating entirely new romantic caveats that not even Millennials relate to, for the most part. Whether you’re ditching the apps or focusing on yourself, the biggest takeaway should be that there is no obligation to settle down. Life is chaos, after all.
See also:
- Are traditional broadcasters doing enough to attract Gen Z?
- Why are Gen Z unsure about having children?
- Examining Gen Z’s nostalgic love of disposable cameras
