Rarely a day passes on social media without being bombarded by a tabloid article trumpeting the research showing women are happier being single than men.

Upon closer inspection, it turns out most "single" women, specially the one's who claim they're happy, aren't exactly single at all. They have active dating lives, casually dating around, have short term flings, situation-ships, hookups, friends with benefit arrangements with multiple men. They are literally meeting all their needs of sex, intimacy, companionship, validation, attention, support etc. that would normally require a relationship. They are doing everything with different men that they'd do in a serious relationship or marriage (sans joint finances and maybe raising a child together). They're just not putting a label on it.

And it makes sense because most women potentially have unlimited dating and sexual opportunities on tap allowing them to experience these 'fluid form of connections' with men so easily, making relationship's increasingly obsolete. Meanwhile, for all but exceptionally good-looking men, being single means celibacy and zero positive validating interactions with women. Its obvious men would be unhappier being single and try to get into a relationship asap.

To cover such a huge asymmetry up, and justify women's preference to remain single solely on wholesome/moralistic reasons like having close-knit support system of friends, being self-sufficient, or to men failings of being emotionally immature and unwilling to share the emotional and domestic labor equitably in relationships is just dishonest bullshit.

Perhaps a fairer way to compare happiness in being single would be to compare celibate women and men. Or compare a male model or celebrity to a barely average looking everyday woman as both have unlimited easy options for dating and sex whenever they want. That would give you a better idea of who's really happier with the "singles" lifestyle.