That’s not to say that Gen Z men and women are on the same page. Half of Gen Z women ( 49 %) said they’re in a relationship, while only 24 % of Gen Z men agreed. Sure, Gen Z women are more likely to identify as lesbian or bisexual and e-sex relationships, but statistically-speaking this doesn’t explain the gap between single-identifying men and women. No wonder 85 % of Gen Z women believe that their generation is more commitment-phobic than previous gens.
Zs said their top sources for dating and relationship advice over the last 12 months were TikTok ( 42 %), Instagram ( 36 %), and YouTube ( 30 %) – and Gen Z women were twice as likely as their male counterparts to seek dating advice from podcasts
Technology has become one of the biggest bridges – and barriers – to romance today, but not in the ways you might first think. Take, for example, one of the biggest buzzwords when it comes to Gen Z dating: apps. While Zs acknowledge that dating apps have had a huge impact on how their generation experiences romantic relationships, nearly three-quarters said the media focuses too much on the role dating apps play in their love lives. Half of Zs ( 53 %) called dating apps simply ? “ a necessary evil.” That’s not to say that Zs aren’t embracing tech to enhance their love lives, but digital platforms are more like this generation’s version of Dr. Ruth than their Love Connection. Looking to the future, Zs think tech’s role in their love lives is here to stay, and will even facilitate entirely new areas of romance. When asked to make predictions about the relationship landscape in the year 2050 , 35 % of Zs said they believe it will be common to have an A.I. girlfriend or boyfriend via a virtual companion app, Noivas da Internet portuguГЄs while nearly a third said it will be common to have sex with robots.
S., Zs say they’re being forced to choose between love and money
Love don’t cost a thing, but dating sure does. With cost of living soaring in the U. Case in point: 71 % of Zs said they sometimes feel like they can’t afford to go out on dates, and a third of Zs ( 32 %) said they’ve even broken up with someone because the relationship was getting too expensive. Gen Z men were especially likely to feel nervous about the financial strain that dating might put on them. In fact, 63 % of Gen Z men said they’re not currently in a good enough financial position to be in a serious relationship (vs 45 % women). The affordable housing shortage is making intimacy harder to come by, too. 61 % of Zs said they don’t have a good place to be alone with romantic partners because they live with either roommates or parents. With nearly a third of Zs living at home (with no plans to leave), it’s no wonder that this gen is reportedly having less sex than generations before.
Rom-coms are foundational to Valentine’s celebrations, but Hollywood now has stiff competition from the captivating real-life love stories that play out on social media. For many Zs, the early 2000 s classics they grew up with ( 13 Going on 30 , How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days) are being usurped by real-life people posting on social media about their own romantic lives and those around them. While many of these social stories play out to small, niche audiences, others explode like a summer blockbuster. Take, for example, Summer England’s ? “ The Neighbor Saga,” a 60 -plus part TikTok series chronicling how hearing her neighbor’s active dating life through the wall of her apartment turned into a real-life love story watched by hundreds of thousands of people. These real-life rom-coms are not a niche trend: 68 % of all Zs said they have followed a love story on social media (e.g. Instagram, TikTok) – not surprisingly, Gen Z women were most likely to tune in. The success of this emerging genre lies in its storytelling, which tends to be short, serialized, and relatable, with great characters and real-life stakes. Unlike almost any other romance format, audiences can engage directly with the main characters through comment threads and Q & As. Plus, the real-time stories organically tap into the hyper-current dating zeitgeist, a draw for Gen Z audiences seeking both escapism and commiseration. Hallmark, take note: More than half of Zs ( 54 %) agreed that ? “ rom-coms need to be entirely reinvented to reflect the way Gen Zs date.”
