5 Millennial Dating Trends to Watch Out For in 2022

Older generations often condemn millennials for being stripped of true connections and in-person communication due to the rise of technology, social media and hippie culture. However, while some of the stereotypes about the millennials’ dating culture are nothing more than stereotypes, others are, fortunately or unfortunately, very true. Below we tried to break down the phenomenon of millennial generation’s romance and help you catch up with the latest millennials dating trends in 2022!

1. Gender roles

In contrast to the “good” old traditional style of courting where men are the ones to initiate talking, hanging out and hooking up, nowadays, these gender roles are as divided. While men are statistically still the ones who make the first move, more and more women do it as well! Not that it is acceptable, but it’s preferable and women are even rewarded for their courage and self-confidence, instead of being shunned as they would be decades ago. According to online dating statistics, online dating can at least increase your chances of dating men or women in the first instance.

Similarly, casual sex is finally not something that’s justifiable only for men, but it has become much more acceptable for young women as well. Whether this is thanks to the contemporary feministic movement or the breaking of the sex taboo with the rise of social media and freedom of speech, it’s something to be celebrated.

2. New breakup technique known as ghosting

This is a very uncool method invented by millennials themselves for disappearing on someone after you hung out or had a date, but it’s also very convenient. Millennials are known as drama queens and kings, but they don’t fancy the messiness of breaking up. Instead, they rely on the technique of ghosting – no texts, no calls, no explanations, and one day, they will get the hint.

3. New dating glossary

Besides the infamous ghosting, there are plenty of terms which make millennials’ dating lives much easier and harder at the same time. For instance, bird-boxing, inspired by Sandra Bullock in the post-apocalyptic thriller Bird Box, refers to someone being “blind to how rubbish the person they’re dating is”, while orbiting defines the mind-game of playing hot and cold at the same time and breadcrumbing is a fancy term for a sneaky and tactical technique of stringing someone along.

4. Dating industry

The lack of traditional dating doesn’t mean that millennials don’t have sexual and romantic needs that need to be fulfilled. This has given birth to a whole new industry in dating. You would be shocked to find out the percentage of young people using dating apps, the most famous ones being Tinder and Bumble.

However, besides apps and dating websites, there have been other industries that are also tapping into this. For example, companion services offered by Mayfair Confidential will give you an unforgettable boyfriend or girlfriend experience for a certain time. Nowadays, many people use this as a great opportunity to scratch that dating itch for a while.

5. Sexting

And, of course, the modern art of sexting. The older generations always reminisce about the time when they would write love letters to each other, and emphasize the anticipation and the excitement of waiting for the mail as opposed to contemporary means of communication. With all due respect to romantic souls, but who doesn’t enjoy the comfort of the virtual sex?

Long-distance relationships have more chances to survive, and no strings attached schemes can even remain on a virtual basis. There is a whole new level of sexual experience and experimenting. And no matter how many orgasms you can have on your own, it’s always better with a bit of incitement in the form of sexting.

Maybe millennials are too busy saving the planet to work on their relationships, and maybe they do value swiping for sex over looking for love and temporary fulfillment over true commitment, but we can’t really blame them for the fact that dating culture changed over time. Moreover, many of the aspects we talked about above seem super appealing and convenient, so instead of criticizing them, take notes and get back in the game, if you’re not out there yet.