Dating and hooking up has always been an important part of life, but since the pandemic brought socializing to a screeching halt, many young people have been slow to jump back into the dating pool.
While the pandemic is partially to blame, it seemed that dating, in general, was losing steam years before the word “COVID” ever entered our vocabulary.
Gallup polling indicates that these concerns may not be entirely unfounded. The research firm found the following statistics during a 2014 study:
- 64% of those surveyed were single/never had been married
- 16% were currently married
- 14% were living with a partner
This compares to the following breakdown from 2004:
- 52% were single/had never been married
- 29% were currently married
- 15% were living with a partner
Interestingly, the proportion of married people had dropped by approximately half in just ten years, and the number of people living with a partner had also fallen slightly. These results indicate that millennials aren’t as eager to jump into a relationship in more recent years.
There’s no question that many young people are indeed putting off their romantic/sex life for other pursuits. So, what are the root causes of this gradual shift?
Busy Schedules
It’s fair to say that people have always had busy schedules, yet they always found the time to date or hook up. However, it’s fair to say that the newer generations face higher societal expectations, which may be why they choose to put off their physical and emotional needs. Many millennials find themselves juggling:
- Longer work weeks
- Social obligations
- Caring for younger siblings
- Networking for another job
- Trying to practice self-care
- Taking care of routine chores that everyone has to deal with
- Social media
With so many balls in the air, it makes sense that people need to move sex and romance to the bottom of their list of priorities. Unfortunately, in many cases putting dating on the back burner is the only way to keep everything else moving forward.
So Many Options
There’s certainly some irony to this, but people have so many options for dating these days that it may all feel a little overwhelming.
Dating apps allow us to browse thousands of members worldwide. While you think that would be enticing, that’s not always the case. Some young people find themselves crippled by the number of available options, and they just can’t seem to settle on any one of them. A feeling of indecisiveness creeps in, and the thought is always in the back of one’s mind that there might be someone even better out there for them. People don’t necessarily want to settle on the first person they come across because they worry that they could be giving up other opportunities. This constant state of second-guessing themselves leaves people frustrated, and some simply give up on dating entirely.
The Economics Of Dating
Life is expensive, and the cost of living doesn’t allow much wiggle room for luxuries like dating. Data suggests that the average millennial earns just over $47,000 per year. That doesn’t stretch very far when millennials attempt to pay for dates and other social activities in addition to rent, gas, and utilities. These budget limitations force millennials to choose their “extras” more carefully. For many, this means that they dump dating. They view it as a non-necessity, and they would prefer to focus on the things that actually bring them value and help keep them sheltered and safe. Understandably, many millennials feel this way when one considers just how much they have had to go through just to survive day to day.
Pursuing Other Interests
Some millennials say that a big part of why they don’t date is they simply want to pursue other interests. The job market is such that it’s challenging to get a job without an advanced degree. This means they feel the pressure to obtain an advanced degree to get a decent paying job, which does the following:
- Saddles them with more debt
- It makes it even harder to find time for things like dating
With compressed schedules and budgets, it’s no wonder many young people are saying “no thanks” to dating.
Dating rates among young people are indeed on the decline, but this fact alone may not be as troubling as some media outlets like to make it sound. It just means that priorities have changed for many young people, and they’re putting career needs ahead of things that previous generations may have prioritized, such as marriage. It’s a demographic change to keep an eye on, but there is no reason to panic about these developments. It’s best to remember that people adapt to the conditions they’re met with, and if the membership base at Adult FriendFinder is any indication, people will always find a way to hook up!
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