Hookup culture is insidious and has been with us for way too long. The fact that so many people seem to be looking for a one-night stand rather than a committed relationship is disheartening for the hopeless romantics among us, but that all seems to be changing with the younger generation. A new Hinge survey (via NY Post) actually found that Gen Z is over hookup culture and doesn’t want any part of it.
- The survey was looking into how dating has changed over the pandemic. Data found that Gen Z felt like the two years of lockdowns/Covid-19 measures made them miss out on a lot of valuable dating experiences. Nevertheless, nearly half of the respondents said they felt like their dating habits had changed in a good way over that time.
- Gen Z is tired of wasting time. An impressive 39% of Hinge users admitted they’ve become a lot pickier about who they date since the pandemic, with 91% of those people saying they’d upped their standards because they were tired of wasting time on people who don’t want the same things.
- Hookup culture is out, real relationships are in. In 2022 and beyond, Gen Z swearing off hookup culture in favor of forming deeper, more meaningful connections. Just about half of Hinge users revealed that the pandemic changed their relationship goals, leading them to crave long-term relationships instead of casual experiences. Hinge’s director of relationship science, Logan Ury, explained: “Many daters feel like they’re making up for lost time and are ready for a long-term committed relationship.”
- Unfortunately, “situationships” are still pretty common. About 34% of people admitted that they still find themselves in more temporary, laid-back romances. However, for those who moved into actual relationship territory, claimed to have made the switch by being “more clear about what they wanted.”
- Being in a relationship isn’t the be-all, end-all anymore. While previous generations have often felt pressured to aggressively pursue romantic relationships, Gen Z is feeling less pressure these days. In fact, everyone is. Roughly 78% of Hinge users said instead of focusing solely on dating, they’re spending more time on improving their mental health, while 59% are investing in getting their own lives together before really getting into a relationship. We want others who are healthier, too — 97% of users said they want to be with someone who takes care of their mental health, while 86% were more likely to go on a second date with someone who they know is going to therapy.
