Young People Are Giving Up on Love and Choosing Loneliness – Study

A global study cited by The Atlantic and Pew Research Center documents a 'great romantic decline': over 40 years, marriages and cohabitations have decreased, especially among 25–34-year-olds. The pandemic changed dating, causing app fatigue. Gender roles are shifting: women see solitude as freedom, men 'give up' due to conflicting demands. Consequences for family, economy, and politics are predicted.

The article describes a global sociological phenomenon dubbed the 'great romantic decline' by Western researchers. Citing data from the Pew Research Center and a publication in The Atlantic, the author reports that over the past forty years, the number of formal marriages and long-term cohabitations has been declining worldwide, especially among young people aged 25–34. The coronavirus pandemic split life into 'before' and 'after': during lockdowns, online dating boomed, but after restrictions were lifted, real-life meetings became rarer. Reasons include dating app fatigue, changing gender roles, and contradictory expectations of men. Modern women, who can support themselves, view forgoing a partner as freedom, while men 'give up' due to the difficulty of meeting various demands. The author predicts long-term consequences for family models, consumer spending, and political views. The piece is overview in nature, without specific figures or surveys.