Gen Z Undergoes “Crush Recession”, Craves Authentic Dating

Gen Z is experiencing what some are calling a “crush recession,” marked by reduced enthusiasm, spontaneity, and optimism toward romantic interests. Dr. Alexandra Foglia, Director of Family Programs at All in Solutions, described it as a broader decline in the excitement typically associated with developing crushes.

Multiple factors appear to be driving this shift. Dating app fatigue is widespread, with many users feeling exhausted by endless swiping, superficial conversations, and situationships. Financial stress also plays a significant role, as the cost of dates makes romance feel like an unaffordable luxury for many. Additional contributors include fear of rejection, social isolation, and a culture that promotes rapid evaluation of potential matches rather than allowing natural curiosity and uncertainty to develop.

The pandemic further disrupted formative social experiences for many in this generation, limiting opportunities to practice in-person flirting, intimacy, and relationship-building. As a result, many young singles report feeling detached or jaded, with romance increasingly viewed as either unattainable or an added source of stress rather than something enjoyable.

Foglia noted that chronic stress and burnout reduce people’s capacity for novelty-seeking and positive emotionality. This limits the light-hearted feelings traditionally linked to attraction and crushes.

To counteract the trend, Foglia suggested focusing less on finding “the one” and more on building authentic connections with different people. She also recommended low-pressure, affordable date ideas such as walks or coffee meetups to reduce financial barriers.

This may be a good reason for the the rise in dating apps focused on authentic connections and “real” relationships, rather than tools that are simply meant to connect two people for quick chats, dates or hookups. As more and more users begin to crave this kind of meaningful connection, platforms that facilitate it are going to see a rise in their user numbers, and new startups will likely crop up to keep filling new niches within niches.

As Gen Z reports higher levels of loneliness and burnout, existing platforms may need to address how features and overall experiences contribute to fatigue and emotional detachment among younger users. More importantly, introducing new features that directly push for more connections and authenticity might be a vital part of keeping their user base engaged.