Gen-Z’s Surprising Views on Marriage and Why They Think It’s ‘More Exciting’

Gen Z is rewriting the rules when it comes to relationships, showing a clear preference for deeper connections over casual flings.

A new survey reveals that today’s young adults are much less interested in one-night stands than millennials were two decades ago.

And when it comes to marriage? Gen Z is surprisingly open to tying the knot, embracing more traditional values than their millennial predecessors.

Gen Zs are not as into having one-night stands as millennials were back in the early 2000s, according to a new survey. Photographee.eu – stock.adobe.com

But their willingness to say "I Do," isn't about being more conservative. Instead, it comes from a desire to live "more exciting" and more fulfilling lives than past generations.

Charlie Sawyer, a 25-year-old Gen Z media specialist, explained it this way to The Times: "Young people's life philosophy has baked into it the idea that divorce is a possibility. And because we don't see marriage as a forever thing, we are more open to trying it."

She elaborated, adding, "We don't always need to be doing things that society deems to be the normal path,"

Gen Zs feel that they are following their own paths of love, which lead them to more “exciting” life experiences. karelnoppe – stock.adobe.com

Gen Z’s approach to relationships is anything but typical. In a survey conducted by The Times, researchers asked over 1,000 Zoomers about their views on relationships, marriage, pornography, and gender identity.

Participants were also asked whether their peers "do commonly" or "don't commonly" engage in certain sexual behaviors. The results were striking - 62% of Gen Zers said they are not interested in spontaneous hookups with strangers.

Researchers compared these findings to millennials, who were asked the same questions back in 2004.

Millennials born between 1981 and 1996 were in their 20s at the time and had a very different approach to casual relationships.

The majority of millennials polled in 2004 confessed that the members of their friend groups often engaged in one-night stands. M-Production – stock.adobe.com

Back then, 78% of millennials admitted that their friends were comfortable with no-strings-attached encounters.

Only 19% said their peers did not commonly do "the do" with strangers.

But for Gen Z, their reluctance toward casual sex might have less to do with morals and more to do with the influence of social media.

As sexpert Maria Yagoda put it in her 2023 book, "Young people have been uniquely inundated with toxic messaging surrounding sex that has actually disrupted our abilities to feel pleasure," she wrote in "Laid and Confused: Why we tolerate bad sex and how to stop."

She elaborated in an interview with Vogue, explaining, "Kids are getting sex info from TV, from magazines, from TikTok, and I don't recall seeing a lot of discourse around sex that is not necessarily horrible, maybe just slightly awkward, maybe sort of 'meh,'"

Some experts even believe that Gen Z may be experiencing a "sex recession."

Insiders have voiced their concerns that may be facing a sex recession, owing to toxic messaging on social media. Jacob Lund – stock.adobe.com

Therapists have also noted a significant drop in sexual activity among Gen Z, blaming it on stress, technology addiction, mental health struggles, and even the long-term effects of COVID-19 lockdowns.

Despite their shifting views on sex, Gen Z is enthusiastic about marriage. According to The Times’ survey, 61% of Gen Z respondents consider marriage an important part of life, while only 21% think it’s "irrelevant."

Back in 2004, millennials shared similar feelings, with 59% believing in the importance of marriage and 39% disagreeing.

Interestingly, Gen Z’s views on pornography are also quite similar to those of millennials.

The study revealed that Gen Zs place a high value on marriage and commitment. Tinashe Njaku/peopleimages.com – stock.adobe.com

According to the survey, 40% of Gen Zers say their friends regularly watch online porn, while 36% say they don’t.

In contrast, when millennials were surveyed in the early 2000s during the rise of digital pornography, 58% admitted their peers consumed online adult content, while 37% said they did not.

When it came to other key social issues, such as transgender rights, the survey found that Gen Z is highly supportive of inclusivity.

When asked if trans women should be allowed to use women's restrooms, 56% of Gen Z respondents said "Yes."

Furthermore, 61% of Gen Zers believe schools should allow students to socially transition in a supportive environment.