Is there less dating with younger generations because they don't want to take as many risks?

My_House_on_Mars · 2026-01-27T01:18:11+00:00

my personal theory is that it's a combination between lack of socialization and the risk of some embarrassing situation ending up on social media for all to see.

Safe-Mention-7181 · 2026-01-27T01:59:48+00:00

I'm not young (40 yo), but won't shit where I sleep due to all the HR minefields.

Money = sex and freedom for men in the know. Even though there's a chance to develop a relationship through proximity and interaction, it's not worth the risk IMO. If young people are onto it, kudos to them.

Superannuated_punk · 2026-01-27T05:03:17+00:00

My most boomer theory is that phones have turned us all into socially maladroit freaks, but millennials and up can still at least sometimes remember how to be normal.

Zoomers and younger have no such luxuries.

WanabeInflatable · 2026-01-27T05:02:00+00:00

Relationship are risky in general. Relationship at work are even more risky because in case of any problems you also lose a job and in this economy you can't afford it. In the very worst case of ex being vengeful and doing some public allegations, you might lose job and chances to find a new one.

Young people are socializing less (at least offline). Dating apps are all scams without exceptions. They don't meet anyone except at work - so no relationships.

Plus relationships are expensive, general attitude between women and men is tense - people chose to be single.

MarioWilson122 · 2026-01-27T02:44:22+00:00

Probably more risky nowadays from what I hear. Especially in this economy, most men don't want to lose their jobs trying to shoot their shot.

ResponsibleSwitch883 · 2026-01-27T11:12:05+00:00

I'm 26, it's not about a lack of risk taking, not in the way you're saying anyway.

People are just generally less healthy mentally and socially, and also less trustworthy and trusting which feed back into each other. Most of the women I've come across who've been available have been pretty unbalanced people, more prone to hurting themselves and others than building consistent relationships. And of the women that aren't available, they're simply more comfortable among other women.

Likewise, the women have internalized cultural mores that exacerbate these things because

Whereas anyone younger than my generation has never met a spouse or SO at work.

This is largely prohibited in anything more professional than restaurant. You can still do it, but most think of work as a place that's off limits and you're playing with your livelihood if you start trying to flirt with the wrong person.

And I say this is as guy who has been the flirty guy with coworkers. But most of the women I've flirted with have been a bit older than me, so they're not as sensitive to the idea of being talked to in this way. It's natural to them that a man would be interested in women. And "women" includes them. They can handle the attention and they can say no when they don't want to take you seriously and everyone moves on.

But for the Gen Zs, the mixture of prejudice and anxiety makes talking to a coworker romantically abnormal for many of us, at least in more professional environments. It's a rule that exceptions must be made for*, for one particular person who's very attractive to them.

*And when it comes to dating in general, that's kind of the rule in everything. The default is no longer to try things out and meet new people. The default is stay away from men until one that's attractive enough that you forget the default shows up. The rules are just a way to police the distance from men that our generation of women take for granted. Because Misandry is systemic, normalized and it permeates every interaction men and women have on the macro-level

But that's not about "risk taking", it's about appraisal. Most of the women see themselves as above most men and they'll only break ranks with each other for a man they think is too impressive not to go for because only that man is worth it to begin with.

The rest of the men are trash, and trash isn't useful or nice to look at.

Why would you want trash to talk to you?

Why is the attention of trash flattering?

What is even the point of having trash around?

Trash is gross, and needs to stay far away.

PattayaVagabond · 2026-01-27T20:30:09+00:00

No- as a gen z its because women have extremely high standards that 90 percent of men can't meet. Looks, height, income, neurotypicality all have to be there or they'll literally roast you to your face.;

I just gave up trying to date within this generation and date older women. They are so much nicer to be around. They actually allow you to take them out on dates instead of just expecting sex immediately. They are also more forgiving of me being neurodivergent- they tend to see it as something unique/original instead of something which should be eugenically exterminated. And they also don't have strict income requirements in order to date them like gen Z girls.

onetimeuseaccc · 2026-02-01T21:16:38+00:00

Women have more money now, and since every study as proven they are not really attracted to most men, they would rather be alone or settle with being used for sex by men they are attracted to than date men that they are not attracted to (80% of men). Dating apps also helps them ensure they get the best of the best at all times. Most young men are single, most young women are not. Most gen Z men want marriage and kids, most gen Z women do not.

DoctorWinchester87 · 2026-01-27T02:18:11+00:00

A lot of younger people are incredibly confused on what is socially appropriate in different areas and situations of their lives.

We were the generation that saw the death of social third spaces and the rise of social media and dopamine addiction. People are scared of the backlash and social stigma that can cone from taking risks in social spaces. People avoid flirting with coworkers because either they are scared of being reported to HR or they are afraid of sharing a social space with someone they might reject.

My personal theory is that a lot of it also has to do with power dynamics and control. Many young people feel powerless and hopeless in a world where more people are fighting over fewer resources. The cost of living is constantly going up against stagnant wages. People with multiple college degrees are having trouble finding meaningful employment as the pool of jobs shrinks every year. Housing costs and scarcity force people to delay “true adulthood” later and later as they are forced to live with parents or with a handful of roommates.

In a world where agency is being stripped back, people will find power and control where they can. It’s easy and convenient to string people along and just ghost whenever you grow bored. People are disposable now because they are nothing more than words on a screen. No more awkward phone call break ups or “i don’t want to see you anymore” conversations. You can just drop people in a moment’s notice now like they never existed.

I’ll close by saying that this is also the generation of Me Too and social media mob justice. One wrong slip and your entire professional and social life can be upended. This is one of the driving forces behind the death of old school dating culture. People are either scared of committing to something or scared of being made a social pariah. It’s easier to find quicker and more reliable sources of dopamine, such as porn and doomscrolling.

UnarmedRespite · 2026-01-27T01:42:29+00:00

It’s the economy, …

Pitiful_Home5655 · 2026-01-27T14:40:41+00:00

The HR-ification of the workplace has progressed drastically since you were younger. It's genuinely dangerous for a lot of younger folks to date within their organization. Especially in this economy, you cannot afford to risk losing your job over some claim from a spiteful ex in the workplace or making others uncomfortable with your approach.

aerotech25 · 2026-01-28T19:09:27+00:00

Partially that, partially women don’t want men now after we beat them down for decades..

seems pretty obvious frankly. If women are attracted to high status men, and we spend decades focusing on girls and women and discriminating against men and feminizing the workplace at some point theres going to be a shortage of attractive men

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corey____trevor · 2026-01-27T03:25:08+00:00

It’s obviously a combination of many things. Social media + dating apps have pumped up expectations for everyone that many men (and to a lesser extent women) can no longer meet, income inequality is high, women are just as successful as men economically now and are much more career-oriented, religion is dying out, there is way more things to keep a young mind captive than there used to be like video games and smart phones, the greater risks now with the metoo era, and so on.

No offense but you’d have to be pretty out to lunch to think it’s just one thing that has caused this shift.

leefjk · 2026-01-27T06:55:15+00:00

I actually think the more cautious approaches aren't justified even if things are somehow worse because it's simply the only way to do things.

Axis_Control · 2026-01-27T07:35:49+00:00

The dating crisis isn't as much of a crisis as you think.

The percent drop isn't that much its like 10-20%

Covid impacted the younger generation and they aren't as sure how to approach, many use dating apps.

DankuTwo · 2026-01-27T08:55:47+00:00

Statistically speaking risk-taking is substantially down across younger people. They drink, date, smoke, have sex, and take drugs WAY less than previous generations.

Jip_Jaap_Stam · 2026-01-27T20:12:34+00:00

They don't drink as much.

BigMadLad · 2026-01-28T03:10:08+00:00

The cost of the risk has gone up substantially. For a young person, the economy is in shambles and things are more expensive than ever, so the cost of getting fired is way higher for someone who’s just starting their career compared to someone who is probably saved over their whole career and so could afford to lose a job or two and not get crushed. Secondly, with social media, the cost of going viral for a failed attempt is not just you would lose the current job, but you may become unhireable. There’s a lot of social equity built in for older people that either they don’t know better or if it’s with people of similar ages, the odds of the woman reporting is much lower.

jimbo_kun · 2026-01-28T05:01:37+00:00

Exact_Wrongdoer_147 · 2026-01-28T18:42:19+00:00

I would never in a million years date a coworker or a person that has any type of relationship (platonic, familial) with anyone I work with. I hardly even befriend coworkers. Coworkers will betray you for a 60 cent raise

Open-Quail-2573 · 2026-02-04T01:39:45+00:00

Brother we are terrified of embarrassing ourselves. Some of us have a good reputation and friends/acquaintances that include men and women and would hate to see it tarnished. I admit, this is a bad cope because you ought to go after what you want in life but it is what it is. To add to all this, we're also quite cynical. It's not a "hate" thing, more so a defense mechanism. Blackpill ideology has taken hold in the mainstream. A lot of men think they're not good enough, even perfectly decent or even somewhat attractive men. Which is why they don't bother. Their ideas didn't come out of nowhere when you have women berating and putting down men all the time on social media and it becoming normalized.

Title	Is there less dating with younger generations because they don't want to take as many risks?
Author	harmonica2
Upvotes	10
Comments	80
Date	January 26, 2026 1:39 PM UTC (6 months ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/PurplePillDebate
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/PurplePillDebate/comments/1qng9m0/is_there_less_dating_with_younger_generations/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/PurplePillDebate/is-there-less-dating-with-younger-generations.1572032 https://theredarchive.com/post/1572032

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