The traditional monogamous couple is still popular among young Generation Z. They overwhelmingly want a “serious relationship” based on trust and loyalty, say they are “very faithful”, and hope to meet their soul mate in person rather than through dating applications, reveals a Léger survey on the romantic expectations of young people commissioned by the dating application Fruitz.
A little more than half of the 500 young people aged 18 to 24 surveyed last August by the Léger firm were single. And among those who were in a relationship, the vast majority were in an exclusive monogamous relationship. Barely 3% said they were in a non-exclusive or polyamorous relationship.
More than three out of four young people see themselves “in a serious relationship in the future”. Half believe in the existence of a soul mate. And 87% say they are “very loyal”. Trust and loyalty are named as the main criteria sought in a romantic relationship (50%); good communication and respect come a little behind, with 37%. Physical attraction comes after all that, at 34%.
“The way of projecting oneself into the future falls within traditional, and even, I would dare say, romantic, benchmarks,” indicates Chiara Piazzesi, professor of sociology at UQAM and specialist in romantic relationships, in an interview with Duty.
She says with a laugh that she finds these results “refreshing”, insofar as they undo the prejudices often conveyed about the younger generation. “All those who accuse the younger generations of no longer having values, of being ruining relationships because they just want sexuality without attachment, are royally wrong. »
The results of the survey commissioned by Fruitz are in line with its own research. “My data confirms exactly the same thing […] There is still a certain preference for the exclusive couple. »
Love in times of crisis
The marriage, however, leaves the young people indifferent. Barely 33% of respondents see marriage as an important step in a romantic relationship. “That’s very Quebecois!” » explains Mme Piazzesi, who recalls that civil union is more popular. “What’s interesting is that it doesn’t mean that people don’t want a serious relationship. The relationship is serious, but outside of marriage. »
Where she questions herself is the fact that barely 56% of young people want to have children. “It’s not much,” she says. I don’t know if this reflects a perception of the challenges that are particular to this era — one might ask: will the planet survive? — or if it is linked to the difficulty of meeting [un éventuel partenaire], but it would be worth questioning a little more on this aspect. »
This awareness of living in a world in crisis – wars, climate change, pandemic – can also explain, according to her, the fact that 37% of respondents believe that “past generations had more satisfactory relationships” than theirs.
“More than a kind of nostalgia for the past, I would read these results more as an awareness of the precariousness of current living conditions and the way in which this can affect personal perspectives for the future. »
Dating apps
Another myth debunked by this survey concerns dating apps. “Most young Quebecers meet offline, whether at work, at school or through friends,” summarize the authors of the survey. However, three in five young people have already used dating apps, including one in five who currently use them and a quarter who met their current partner online. »
Asked about the reasons that push them to abandon this type of application, young people say they prefer meetings in person and find dating applications “superficial”.
Is it post-pandemic fatigue? Disappointing past experiences? The fact that young people have more opportunities to meet people through a more intense social life? Specialist Chiara Piazzesi launches several hypotheses. But she cannot help but see “traces of a discourse of distrust which has developed in recent years”>