LONDON: A Reddit user who goes by the name Disastrous-Ad has a secret to share: He is 27 years old and has never had a girlfriend. In fact, he has never even held hands with a girl, let alone kissed one.
Fellow members of Reddit’s r/lonely forum (“for all the lonely people”) know exactly how he feels. “I relate to this so much. Same age, same situation,” replies one. “It’s hard. But it’s a growing reality if it helps you feel less bad.”
Welcome to life at the sharp end of the romantic recession, where today’s under-30s are more likely to be single than either their parents or grandparents were at their age.
On TikTok, Nashville-based creator Jordy makes videos explaining what it’s like to go through your twenties without a partner. “This era of dating is actually HORRIFYING,” commiserates one of her followers. “No boyfriends no talking stage no situationships no NOTHING.”
Every generation is supposed to rebel against the ones that came before – making choices that baffle their elders. But who could have predicted that Gen Z’s rebellion would be one of abstinence?
The potential culprits for this romantic estrangement span high house prices (which force young people to live at home), pandemic social-distancing, overly protective parents and a growing political divide driving a wedge between liberal young women and more conservative young men.
But the real villain is the internet. Growing up with access to an online content free-for-all appears to have produced a generation with progressive attitudes and puritanical habits, who are increasingly likely to be teetotal, prefer not to see nudity in films and opt out of relationships.
Dr Amanda Gesselman, research scientist at the Kinsey Institute, has described the change as a shift towards “self-sourced intimacy”.
As for the tech sector, its response has been to double down. Accused of creating the circumstances that have increased societal isolation, it has found a way to monetise the situation.
