Carrie Jenkins is a professor of philosophy at University of British Columbia Polyamory — being open to having more than one romantic partner at the same time, with everyone’s knowledge and consent — is on the rise , particularly among people below 45. Yet at the same time, we’re told younger people are increasingly turning away from romance and dating . On the face of it, these trends appear contradictory.
Does Gen Z want multiple partners or none at all? What is going on? Seen through the right lens, however, they are really two symptoms of the same underlying cause. A fundamental change is under way: our society is learning to respect more diverse visions of a “good life”. We can break this down by looking at each trend on its own terms.
Dating is tough It’s understandable that more younger people are dropping out of the dating game . Whether you’re looking for love, or looking over the shoulder of a friend who is, you probably know how nightmarish it can be. Dating is expensive .
You constantly risk rejection or, perhaps worse, being seen as cringe. Dating apps have undergone serious “enshittification:” once relatively decent and free services are now seen as degraded and overpriced. And what if you do meet someone? In today’s “typical relationship” — which is still, by and large, a heterosexual, monogamous, marriage-like arrangement — it’s statistically likely the woman is doing most of the housework and childcare, even if she is also the .
