How Gen Z Dates

One of our juiciest editions yet 🔥

Photo by Patrick Perkins on Unsplash

Breadcrumbing. Ghosting. Situationships. Red flags. Green flags. Shrekking. Benching. There’s no shortage of lingo to describe how Gen Z dates. It can be *confusing*, to say the least.

In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, we’re exploring some of the biggest trends and misconceptions about Gen Z romance — and not just their sex lives, though that’s interesting, too.

In this week’s Reality Check: How Gen Z Dates, I heard from dozens of Zoomers, all between the ages of 16 and 28, from 10 states and Washington, D.C. The survey touched on everything from commitment to communication (or lack thereof), what it really means to “talk,” why dating apps feel millennial coded, and the role of social media and AI in romance.

The decisions young people face every day about how they date — or don’t — aren’t made in a vacuum. They come in the context of intense headwinds. Years of peak-puberty spent locked down during Covid. Social media algorithms that feed young men and women diametrically different content. A growing gender gap. Our post-Me Too social fabric at home, at school, and at work. All of that is critical context when looking at why Gen Z’s dating habits may differ from the generations that came before us.

When it comes to their dating wins and woes, here’s some of what they shared. Spoiler alert, it’s juicy.

🔑 What You’ll Unlock: Highlights from this edition

• The biggest misconceptions about how Gen Z dates 🤯

• The truth about dating apps

• The politics of romance