{"id":3884,"date":"2026-01-21T08:00:22","date_gmt":"2026-01-21T13:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mtch.com\/?p=3884"},"modified":"2026-01-21T08:55:26","modified_gmt":"2026-01-21T13:55:26","slug":"the-human-connection-study-gen-z-believes-in-true-love-more-than-any-other-generation-but-only-55-feel-prepared-for-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mtch.com\/de\/single-news\/the-human-connection-study-gen-z-believes-in-true-love-more-than-any-other-generation-but-only-55-feel-prepared-for-it\/","title":{"rendered":"The Human Connection Study: Gen Z Believes in True Love More Than Any Other Generation, But Only 55% Feel Prepared For It"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">New Harris Poll data from Match Group and The Kinsey Institute reveals a widening \u201creadiness gap\u201d as Gen Z sets unprecedented standards for relationships<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><b>Jan. 21, 2025<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 A new nationally representative study finds that while Gen Z (18\u201329 year olds) holds the strongest belief in true love of any generation, only 55% feel prepared to pursue a romantic relationship. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Human Connection Study<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, a survey of 2,500 U.S. singles conducted by The Harris Poll in partnership with Match Group and The Kinsey Institute, shows that 80% of Gen Z believe they will find true love, compared to 57% of all singles. Yet just 55% say they feel ready for a romantic relationship, revealing a widening gap between optimism and readiness as expectations around emotional, personal, and financial preparedness rise.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>The Readiness Checklist<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before feeling ready for a relationship, Gen Z believes several factors signal readiness, including:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Set healthy boundaries (42%)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Be comfortable being alone (41%)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Feel happy and fulfilled (41%)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Invest in personal growth (37%)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Have strong established friendships (36%)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8222;Gen Z&#8217;s optimism about love is remarkable. Eighty-six percent want a committed romantic relationship, but they\u2019re also redefining how and when they get there,&#8220; said <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/chinemmegwa\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Chine Mmegwa<\/b><\/a><b>, Head of Strategy, Corporate Development, and Business Operations at Match Group<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. &#8222;The research illustrates a unique opportunity for Match Group to continue introducing experiences on our apps that feel low-pressure and authentic in order to help these users learn more about themselves and find the connections they\u2019re looking for.&#8220;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Why the Wait?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gen Z\u2019s hesitation isn\u2019t about a lack of belief in love. It\u2019s about the tremendous pressure they feel toward relationships. Only 37% describe their parents&#8216; relationship as &#8222;happy&#8220; compared to 52% of Boomers, and three-quarters want to avoid divorce at all costs, leading many to believe they must be fully \u201cready\u201d before committing. Beyond traditional milestones, Gen Z feels added pressure to demonstrate emotional growth, independence, and self-awareness, while social media raises the stakes by making relationships feel more public and permanent. As a result, readiness becomes a moving target, even as the desire for connection remains strong.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gen Z and Millennials use dating apps as tools for self-discovery, not just connection: 80% say apps help them learn about themselves, 87% say apps clarify what they want in a partner, and 81% say apps have taught them to set and maintain boundaries, using technology to work toward the very readiness they seek.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>From the Experts<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many experts say Gen Z\u2019s pursuit of low-pressure connections shows they\u2019re discovering that you can value independence and still need connection, and encourage young daters to embrace growth <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">through<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> connection.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8222;Young people want their relationships to be rooted in desire rather than practical needs,&#8220; said <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/justingarcia\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b><i>Dr. Justin Garcia<\/i><\/b><\/a><b><i>, Executive Director of The Kinsey Institute and Scientific Advisor to Match Group<\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, who has studied relationship patterns for over 15 years. &#8222;If you&#8217;re financially independent, can pay for your own bills, get your own groceries, manage your own laundry and house projects, you convince yourself that you don&#8217;t need a partner except for the pleasures of hanging out and going to the movies with them so you&#8217;re not lonely. But when we set up this false dichotomy of needs and wants, you&#8217;re robbing yourself and your potential partner of ways to show up for each other, to learn and expand together, and the pleasures of supporting one another.&#8220;<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8222;Social media and AI companions are teaching Gen Z that the messiness of human relationships is something to be tamed, not embraced, but vulnerability and friction are essential ingredients of intimacy.&#8220; said <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/amelia-g-miller\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b><i>Amelia Miller<\/i><\/b><\/a><b><i>, Match Group\u2019s Human Connections Lab researcher.<\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8222;The self-actualization that Gen Z is seeking out solo is actually unlocked through relationships with others.&#8220;<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Download the full report <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/matchgroup-humanconnectionhub.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/MG-Human-Connection-Study.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">HERE<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or visit <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Match Group\u2019s <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/matchgroup-humanconnectionhub.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Human Connection Hub<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Follow Match Group on LinkedIn for continued discussion and insights about the evolution of human connection and relationships.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Survey Methodology<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Third-party research was conducted on behalf of Match Group by The Harris Poll. The survey was conducted online in the United States from September 26 \u2013 October 5, 2025, among a nationally representative sample of 2,500 single adults ages 18 &#8211; 79. Gen Z is defined as those ages 18 &#8211; 29; Millennial is defined as those ages 30- 44; Gen X is defined as those ages 45-60; and Boomers are defined as those ages 61-79.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>New Harris Poll data from Match Group and The Kinsey Institute reveals a widening \u201creadiness gap\u201d as Gen Z sets unprecedented standards for relationships Jan. 21, 2025 \u2013 A new nationally representative study finds that while Gen Z (18\u201329 year olds) holds the strongest belief in true love of any generation, only 55% feel prepared [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":3814,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3884","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-single-news","category-matchgroup"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mtch.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3884","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mtch.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mtch.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mtch.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/23"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mtch.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3884"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mtch.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3884\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mtch.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3814"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mtch.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3884"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mtch.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3884"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mtch.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3884"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}