It’s true: It’s been a tough dating market for singles in the new millennium. Thanks to social media, millennials have more ways than ever to meet potential partners, but that also means they have more competition. Dating apps like Tinder and Bumble are so saturated with users that it takes just seconds to find someone nearby who you might like. That doesn’t mean it’s impossible to find a worthwhile partner in 2022; after all, some people manage to do it every day. But others don’t. That’s why so many millennials are left feeling pessimistic about relationships in general right now. Let’s take a look at why not relationships work out in 2022 and why that might be so.
Networking Has Changed Everything
At its core, the issue with relationships not working out in 2022 is that people are having too much trouble connecting. It can be incredibly difficult to meet potential partners face-to-face in a world where everything is online. You might find online dating or apps like Bumble great for meeting people, but the odds of actually connecting in person are slim. If you want to find a long-term partnership, meeting people in your daily life becomes a necessity. Unfortunately, many millennials have found themselves in a position where they don’t have the tools to do that. Job insecurity, emotional exhaustion, and millennials marrying later in life than any other generation in history mean it’s much harder to meet people in person. Beyond that, millennials have far fewer connections than previous generations did and are much less likely to join in on communal activities. Many simply don’t have the tools to meet people in their daily lives, so the dating market is significantly more challenging.
Hookup Culture Is Out Of Control
Millennials may have only been born during the 1990s, but they’re often credited with bringing “hookup culture” into existence. While there’s no real way to measure this, it’s clear that millennials engage in casual hookups more often than any other generation. While not all millennials are looking for hookups, many are. This can be problematic because hookups aren’t a gateway to relationships — they’re a way to scratch a very specific itch. And while it’s true that you can meet potential partners in this way, it’s also true that most of them are unlikely to be looking for anything serious. As such, millennials who hook up and hope to turn it into a relationship face an uphill battle. Part of the problem is that hookups are easier than ever to find, thanks to dating apps and websites that are entirely geared towards quick, no-strings-attached meetings.
There Are Many Alternatives To Traditional Relationships
While this sounds like a good thing, the fact that there are so many alternatives to traditional relationships — such as poly relationships, open relationships, sugar daddy relationships, and more — has made it harder than ever to find a partner who’s ready for a relationship. Millennials know this, too; many are quick to dismiss any potential partner who isn’t immediately ready for a serious commitment. Unfortunately, that’s led to a lot of heartbreak for people who don’t necessarily want to be in serious relationships. Many millennials are simply too picky when it comes to potential partners, and they’re overlooking people who might be great for them.
People Are Too Picky
Millennials aren’t just too quick to dismiss partners who don’t want a serious relationship — they’re too quick to dismiss partners who don’t fit their ideals in other ways, too. It’s a common complaint among millennials that they can’t find anyone who shares their same interests or values. What many people forget, though, is that you’re not likely to meet someone who shares your exact interests and values. That’s impossible. While it’s true that millennials seem to be pickier than any other generation, it’s also true that members of every generation find ways to be too picky. After all, most people have a list of things they’re looking for in a partner, and those lists aren’t always realistic. The key to finding a partner who shares your interests and values is to be open to the idea that you might not find them in the first place you look. That means dating a variety of people and being willing to let things move at their own pace.
Dating Apps Are Overloaded With Users
Many millennials are quick to dismiss dating apps because they feel like they’re oversaturated with potential partners. That’s not necessarily a bad thing — there are plenty of ways to meet potential partners, but it can make it harder to find people who might be a good fit for you. At the same time, millennials are often quick to blame dating apps for their dating woes when the real problem is likely somewhere else. It’s true that dating apps can make it easier to break the ice with people, but they don’t guarantee success. Just like meeting people in your daily life doesn’t guarantee success, dating apps don’t guarantee failure. The key to finding a worthwhile partner is to be open to all sorts of different ways to meet people. Dating apps can be a good way to do that; they can also be a good way to meet people who aren’t right for you. The key to finding success on dating apps is to be upfront with people from the beginning.
Communication Is Harder Than Ever
Social media has changed how people communicate, and in many cases, that’s not a good thing. It’s easy to overshare online and make it difficult for people to get to know the real you; it’s easy to spend too much time on digital platforms and miss out on opportunities to connect in real life. All of that can make it harder for millennials to find partners who are worth investing in. The fact that millennials have such busy lives also makes it difficult to find quality time with a partner. There aren’t enough hours in the day for most people, let alone for dating and building a relationship with a loved one. Add in the fact that many millennials are struggling financially and have difficulty managing their time and energy, and it’s easy to see why so many people feel like relationships, in general, don’t work out in 2022.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, people who don’t have relationships work out in 2022 do so because they don’t work out. There’s no one reason why this is the case. Rather, there are many, many reasons why people find themselves single in 2022. The dating market has changed in significant ways over the last two decades, and it’s made dating harder than ever before. That doesn’t mean you can’t find someone who’s right for you, though. It just means you have to be open to all sorts of different ways to meet people. If you’re willing to do that, and if you’re willing to put in the effort, you have a good chance of finding a worthwhile partner.