To situationship or not to situationship
To situationship or not to situationship
The dating fad represents larger Gen Z trends in relationships
Welcome to Gen Z Translator, where I break down trending topics on Fridays. This one went out on a Saturday for some reason. If you’re new, you can subscribe here and follow me on X/Twitter or Threads. Views are my own. Happy reading!
You know, with a name like “Gen Z Translator,” I figured it was about time I start defining some things around here. What better way to start than with situtationships this Valentine’s season.
If you haven’t heard of the word, good for you. If you have, I’m sorry. If you’ve been in one, I’m even sorrier.
There’s a common adage I remember being told through all of college – DTR. In exact words, “define the relationship.” A situationship, put simply, is when that doesn’t happen. Google’s definition is “a romantic or sexual relationship that is not considered to be formal or established.”
Confusion about relationship status isn’t exactly new. Situationships have existed since the dawn of time. (Probably. I wasn’t there). They came in the form of vague courtships and illicit affairs. In high school, we called them flirtationships. Quips like this remind us that maybe Gen Z overcomplicates things sometimes.
As evidenced by Meme Monday, experiences with situationships have inundated the internet. So, to situationship or not to situationship?
It’s pretty common knowledge that Gen Z is having trouble playing the field. Phil Rosen and Noah Sheidlower from Business Insider say “inflation and loneliness are killing Gen Z’s dating game.” Online dating has grown in popularity, offering more options but more gray lines, too.
“Many of the young people we talked to said that constant swiping had sucked much of the fun and excitement out of the process,” Daniel Cox writes. “Having nearly endless options can result in decision fatigue and greater doubt about the person they eventually select.”
"In a 2023 survey from the Pew Research Center, 46% of Americans said their overall experience with online dating had been negative, up from 42% in Pew's 2019 survey on the subject, while just over half of women reported a negative experience. In interviews conducted for our survey, young people told us that they found online dating too transactional.” Business Insider
“Situationships are a reflection of modern dating culture, in which romance and commitment have been supplanted by convenience, variety and disposability — which suits some people just fine,” Jennifer A. Kingson from Axios writes. “The bottom line: Maybe the term is just vaguely synonymous with the old line, ‘He's just not that into you.’”
Wishing you luck, buddy.
My weekly roundup:
🎶 What I’m Listening To: greedy by Tate McRae
🎞️ What I’m Watching: I’ve started The Act on Hulu after seeing the online chatter about Gypsy Rose and not knowing any of it
📱 What I’m Scrolling: X…too much for an algorithm that’s crumbling before my eyes