HOW YOUNGER GENERATIONS ARE DATING

There’s no doubt that dating norms have changed for young adults in the past couple decades amid the rise of dating apps and hookup culture.

But now, a growing number of Gen Z and younger millennials appear to be rejecting those new norms and once again changing how they’re dating, and who.

In 2023, these Americans are increasingly turning to their friends to find romantic partners as opposed to strangers.

The trend represents a significant split from older generations. A recent poll from the Survey Center on American Life found just 21 percent of people over age 65 said they were friends with their partner or spouse before dating, compared with 44 percent of those aged 18 through 29.

And while more than half of seniors said they did not know their partner at all before they got together, just 35 percent of young people said the same, according to the report.

The potential reasons behind the shift are complicated, involving technological advancements as well as changing relationship priorities and societal shifts brought on by the “Me Too” movement.

For one thing, the wide web of acquaintances offered by social media has made dating a friend easier. In today’s digital world, the term “friend” can mean a lot of things.

More than one third of Gen Z and millennials have met a partner through social media, according to surveys conducted by YPulse, a market researcher that focuses on the two generations.

For many, dating someone they’re already friends with, or someone who is a friend of a friend, can often feel like a safer option than dating a stranger.

“Dating someone who you meet through a friend gives you that sense of trust,” said Arielle Kuperberg, an associate professor of sociology at the University of North Carolina Greensboro.

One thing does seem fairly constant across all the changing norms and varied approaches to romantic relationships: Whether it’s through online dating, meeting via friends or randomly on the street, all options can lead to happiness down the line. Because the survey also found those who married strangers were no less satisfied than those who married close friends.

Gianna  Mellillo