Hinge Releases Report on Gen Z & Rejection
Dating app Hinge has released a new report that explores dating trends among Gen Z. The platform’s research found that Gen Z daters are fearful of rejection, then sharing helpful advice for how to navigate this issue.
For its latest D.A.T.E (Data, Advice, Trends, Expertise) report, dating app Hinge conducted a study of 15,000 daters. One significant result from this research was that many of Hinge’s Gen Z daters expressed a desire to find love, but that a fear of rejection was an obstacle to this.
Despite believing in ‘soulmates’ to a greater extent than other generations, 56% of Gen Z Hinge daters say that worrying about rejection has stopped them from pursuing a potential relationship.
The dating app highlighted that romance in today’s world can be nerve-wracking and intimidating. This is especially the case after the pandemic, where Gen Z feel more nervous talking to new people, and with 44% of Gen Z Hinge daters having little-to-no dating experience.
To address this issue, Logan Ury, Hinge’s Director of Relationship Science; and Moe Ari Brown, Hinge’s Love and Connection Expert; shared important advice and next steps.
One way to address a fear of rejection is to ‘embrace cringe mode’, Hinge’s experts shared. While some may feel awkwardness and ‘cringe’ when pursuing a relationship, accepting that some vulnerability is necessary is part of finding relationship success, they explained.
Another key tip is to focus on the potential rewards of taking a risk and doing something ‘cringey’, rather than the potential for rejection:
“…almost all worthwhile things in life require opening yourself up to rejection: applying to your ideal college, going after that dream job, and yes, telling someone you’re interested in them. If you hide from rejection, you’re also hiding from your dreams”, Logan Ury emphasised.
Another way to have better connections online is to understand DBL (Digital Body Language). The Hinge experts highlighted how certain behaviours, like initiating the conversation and messaging consistently, are good signs when it comes to seeing if someone is interested.
The report lays out different scenarios where a match’s DBL and IRL behaviour are contradictory, and what this could potentially mean for the relationship. Moe Ari Brown then shares his advice for how to approach these situations effectively.
Furthermore, navigating the WAW (What Are We) conversation can help with establishing commitment, the report found. While Gen Z wants commitment, they’re having a hard time asking for it.
“57% of Gen Z Hinge daters say they’ve held back from telling someone how they felt because they worried it’d be a turn-off”, the report shared.
To address this, Hinge’s experts outlined their advice for how to go about having the WAW talk, communicating one’s own feelings, and the recipe for establishing exclusivity. This includes recognising that there may never be a ‘perfect’ time to initiate the discussion.