Study: 60% of Americans Have Been in a Situationship
A new survey of over 1000 American adults has explored the rise of ‘situationships’, with 60% of respondents saying they’re currently in, or have experienced, this type of connection. The study also found that situationships most commonly originate from dating apps.
The situationship situation
Conducted by consumer information platform Top10.com, the study looks at ‘situationships’ which were defined as an “ongoing sexual relationship with an undefined future” in the survey.
Research found that 45% of Baby Boomers have been in a situationship, compared to 32% among Gen Z.
While the term ‘situationship’ may be new, the results suggest that the relationship type has existed for many years, the researchers shared. Most adults surveyed believe that situationships are similar to the established relationship type ‘friends with benefits’.
But why?
What is the appeal of a situationship? The survey asked respondents why they are hesitant to enter a committed relationship, and found that Gen Z are the most worried about settling for the wrong person, among all age groups.
However, this concern around committed ages is significantly reduced among older age groups. Top10.com suggests that as daters get older, they may be less stressed about romantic relationships, and more open to pragmatism.
Men and women tend to disagree about the benefits of a situationship. 17% of men said the benefit is a consistent sexual partner, while 16% said it enables them to explore their feelings.
Meanwhile, 24% of women said there are no benefits to a situationship, while 14% of women said that it allowed them to have more time to themselves.
The connection to dating apps
When asked about where their situationship had originated, 26% of all respondents shared that it had started from a dating app connection. The next popular answer was offline, followed by via social media.
When asked whether they would recommend a dating app that caters to creating situationships, 49% said it was either unlikely or very unlikely they would do that.
