Low commitment relationships are on their way out as more people are intent on finding ‘the one.’ Over the past years, Gen Z have been in situationships as a way to have more freedom since it allows them to explore their romantic and sexual identities. But now, it appears that more people are willing to be in long-term relationships as a survey has found that while 40 percent of individuals are content with casual dating, nearly 7 in 10 unmarried young adults can see themselves tying the knot someday.
This gradual shift towards a preference for traditional dating experiences has resulted in new practices and behaviors that may influence the global dating culture. Here’s what you need to know about the latest dating trends and how they’re changing the face of modern relationships.
Checking for Compatibility
Have you ever asked someone you’re dating about their star sign or their personality type? Though these types of questions may seem a bit odd a decade ago, it has become more common among Gen Z as they want to be sure that they’re a match with the people that they’re interested in. As a result, young people are putting their Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) on their dating profiles to find their perfect match, and they even add their star signs as many are now looking to astrology to guide their love life. In fact, a study has found that 31 percent of Gen Z wouldn’t date someone with an incompatible astrological sign.
Talking about MBTI and star signs is a great way to get the conversation flowing, especially if you’re talking to a person virtually, according to InstaCams.com. Topics like these are light and safe, making them ideal for online interactions or first in-person dates. But there are other ways to test your compatibility with someone if you don’t want to limit your dating options. On your first date, you can find out if you have something in common by talking about your hobbies and interests. If you decide to keep seeing them, you can check if you share the same values by asking questions about their routine. For instance, do they party at night after work, or do they prefer to stay at home? You’ll also want to know if they value relationships by asking if they’re close to their family members, or if they’ve stayed friends with their high school or college buddies.
Loud Looking
Young people who are actively looking for a romantic partner are engaging in loud looking, which is a practice that involves being upfront about what they want from the get go. Loud lookers know that being vague, mysterious, or ambiguous isn’t going to cut it anymore, and they certainly don’t want to waste their time with people who are only looking for a casual hookup or a situationship. By loud looking, they put out their intentions for their love life out there in the universe, minus the usual dating gimmicks. This means putting an unfiltered profile photo on their dating apps, and being very specific in their bio in what they want in a partner to avoid major deal breakers.
Since loud looking is becoming more popular, you can expect to see more things like “looking for a vegan partner” or “only want to date people who love dogs” while going through dating apps. If you want to do some loud looking during in-person dates, try skipping through all the preamble and jump right into deep topics and conversations. Some loud lookers even ask their dates if they can see the relationship progressing beyond the first date, which can help to take the guesswork out of the equation.
Ignoring Mundane Deal Breakers
The past two years were all about dating icks as people openly professed their disdain for something as mundane as men being into LEGOS or women wearing cheap jewelry. Compared to red flags, icks are less severe and they say more about the person who’s repulsed by fairly normal things. People would break up over things that are deemed to be icky, not knowing that they’re messing up an opportunity to get close to someone, which could make them miss out on a great relationship.
Today, people are choosing to ignore the icks as they realize that these things aren’t major deal breakers, compared to, say, being rude to retail workers or being openly sexist or misogynist. By focusing on forming real connections and accepting someone just the way they are, this trend takes the shallowness out of modern dating culture, so things like not knowing how to drive or dressing in an old-fashioned way becomes a non-issue.
People want more than just hookups and are looking to form real, lasting relationships. Consider the trends mentioned above if you’re ready to find a romantic partner, and see how these can help to enhance your love life.
