Relationships Talk

Swipe right on these dating dos.

The online dating app Zoosk recently analyzed more than 5.7 million profiles and surveyed over 4,000 daters on the site, only to reveal that the youngest generation of daters, Gen Zers (those currently between the ages of about 8 and 22), might have a few lessons to teach the rest of us.

The first lesson: We should be open to meeting people even if they don’t check all our boxes. Indeed, Gen Zers are the least picky daters and swipe or say yes to 33% of the potential matches they’re presented, which is 15% more than millennials and 20% more than Gen Xers and baby boomers. And while it’s important to give people a chance, Lori Bizzoco, founder and executive editor the relationship advice site CupidsPulse.com tells Moneyish, “There’s nothing wrong with having standards for your future partner, as long as they are realistic. You have to be willing to compromise on certain things but that doesn’t mean that you have to forego qualities that are truly important to you.”

What’s more, Lori BIzzoco, founder and executive editor of the relationship advice site CupidsPulse.com says Gen Zers are more open to serial dating and seeing several people while trying to figure out who they click with best. Meanwhile, older daters tend to stick to one person at a time which limits their ability to explore a broader range of singles.

The second lesson is that anyone can make the first move. Indeed, the majority, 59% of Gen Zers are indifferent about whether a man or woman makes the first move online, according to Zoosk — which is 2% more than millennials, 8% more than Gen Xers and 7% more than Baby Boomers.. This too allows Gen Zers to meet more people, thus boosting their chances of finding love.

Finally, approach dating casually like Gen Z does, so you don’t put so much pressure on yourself to make the date perfect. Gen Zers are more likely than other generations to opt for simple coffee dates instead of drinks or dinner, the survey found. “Gen Z daters can teach older daters to be more relaxed and just enjoy dating. Younger daters don’t dwell on finding a mate right away, they take their time and have fun while getting to know others,” Bizzoco reveals.

These lessons are particularly relevant today as nearly half the population over the age of 18 is single, according to Statista, and about one in three of the 110.6 million unmarried people in the United States want to get married according to Psychology Today. What’s more, many of these people are looking for love online: eHarmony projects that 40% of Americans use online dating, with men making up 52.4% of online dating users.

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