Recent data from the Pew Research Center reveals a significant shift in the dating market dynamics in the United States. Today, 38% of relationship seekers are unmarried women and 61% are unmarried men. This gap begs the question—how are women’s dating lives and their expectations changing in today’s dating landscape.
Of note, the report cautions that the share of unmarried, single women may be overestimated. Estimates run as high as 36% in the first year, potentially as low as… This emerging trend raises a few questions about what is driving women to change their minds about getting back into the dating pool. Societal pressures and changing gender roles contribute to women’s dating experiences. Moreover, behaviors such as “manspreading” and “mansplaining” just add to their hesitation to adopt old-fashioned courting customs.
One term that has appeared in conversations about this phenomenon is “mankeeping.” This paints a poignant picture of the coercive environment women are left with when they are pressured to remain beholden to men. These men almost never live up to anything they imagine. In rebuttal, there have been recent calls for women to unionize against “mankeeping.” In this utopian alternative, women would be able to join forces and push back against these forces. If they get this right, it can trigger a major movement of men valuing something different.
If women were to unite against “mankeeping,” some theorists propose that men might become more appealing as they strive to attract multiple partners, including women considered particularly attractive, often referred to as “10s.” This new concept introduces a new experience to the matchmaking world. Women’s collective power can change everything that attraction favors.
The discussion that’s continued about dating and relationships quickly shifts to these larger social issues and is very much connected. Women’s rights and reproductive choice are central to this conversation. This growing pressure on dating culture may seem far from the discussions surrounding Gilead, but the moral panic atmosphere is the same. In such an environment, women’s autonomy is undoubtedly at stake.
The Pew Research Center’s report provides more detail on these trends and is available at Pew Social Trends. This in-depth study paints a clearer picture of the nuances behind today’s dating environment and what’s driving single women to make their choices.