Money is more important to young people than love

Gen Z: Love or Finance? A new study reveals that nearly half of the younger generation prioritizes financial security over romantic relationships.

Milwaukee/USA – TV presenter Kai Pflaume would not only fall on deaf ears among young viewers with his latest “Dream Ship” appearance, but his former television show “Only Love Counts” would probably not have good ratings among today's young adults achieve: Gen Z is tired of love.

Study reveals dating characteristic: Generation Z would rather money than love

Or, to put it another way: According to a new study, young people born between 1995 and 2010 place more value on financial security than having a suitable romantic partner at their side. In other words, Gen Z not only values ​​personality over productivity, but also money over love.

The US-American Insurance company Northwestern Mutual recently published its 2023 “Planning and Progress” study, in which they surveyed 2,700 people about money and its influence on their lives. According to the report, nearly half (49 percent) of Gen Z place more importance on money than romantic connections in relationships. For comparison: 40 percent of home office-loving millennials agree, 35 percent of Gen X and 30 percent of the so-called, and often criticized, baby boomers.

Gen Z: The crisis-hit generation

The reason for prioritizing Gen Z is one Survey by the online credit portal Lendingtree According to September 2022, financial fears are primarily caused by the current inflation following the global corona pandemic. A total of 1,578 users were asked about their dating habits in the survey. The majority of respondents said dating would be easier if they had more money. And almost one in five of them said they are having fewer date nights due to inflation. The results of the survey at a glance:

1. 77 percent of respondents say that finding a partner could be easier if they had more money. This is more common among men (83 percent) than among women (73 percent). Still, 32 percent say they would go on a date even if they couldn't pay for it, with this being more common among men (36 percent) than women (30 percent).
2. A lack of money has a direct impact on some, with almost one in five (19 percent) who date saying they are having fewer dates due to inflation. Another 14 percent are trying to spend less money on dates.
3. Regardless of whether they are actively dating, more than half of men (54 percent) believe that the man should pay for the first date. 26 percent of women believe that the cost of a date should be split between the two. Generation Z is most likely to believe that the person who invited the other person on the first date should pay (34 percent) or that the cost should be shared (32 percent).
4. Millennials (22 percent) are most likely to go into debt because of their dating spending habits. Additionally, 6 percent of Americans were declined on a first date, but those in six figures and those with annual household incomes between $75,000 and $99,999 are most likely to still get a second date (6 percent each).
5. 12 percent of Americans never want to know how much their partner makes. Additionally, 34 percent of consumers want to know how much their partner earns if they are in a committed relationship, and 26 percent want to know in advance.

Generation Z(ero) Love: The end of romance

“Everything is getting more expensive,” explains Matt Schulz, chief credit analyst at LendingTree CNBC: “It's not just the new clothes, the roses, the ride, the fancy dinner, the concerts or the coffee after the show – it's everything. The additional costs of each of these things may not be earth-shattering on their own, but taken together they can be a very big deal.”

As a consequence of the fact that the cost of living continues to rise, Gen Z would sometimes give up dating completely and would rather invest the money in meeting friends, one says Report of Business Insider. The fact that there can also be other consequences in terms of dating behavior among young adults between the ages of 18 and 25 can be seen in social networks such as Instagram and TikTok. You can now come across videos there in which the creators promote and approve of so-called “gold-digging”.

A “gold digger” is a person, usually female, who enters into a “romantic” relationship with a person solely because of his or her wealth. This is what Gen-Z influencer recommends Suki Tegan of her community from around 155,000 followers: “Date for money, not for love.” Because Suki is of the opinion: “It’s simply an unspoken agreement that you’re pretty and he’s rich.” (ls)