Ravi Mittal draws a contrast between the dating preferences of millennials and baby boomers

When it comes to dating today, there’s a high probability that it would either involve meeting someone virtually or through an online dating app, more than any other way, especially in the post-pandemic world.

Of course, people still meet in cafes, through mutual friends, or even at work. But lately, dating apps have been witnessing a steep rise, perhaps, due to the dramatic shift over the years in people’s mindsets. Simply put, even though the feeling of love and romance is something that has remained constant forever, how people connect, including the baby boomers, is ever changing because of the evolving times.

Let’s delve deeper to explore the real difference between how baby boomers and millennials prefer dating in the current times.

Virtual vs physical

It’s a no-brainer that social media has had a significant impact on not just the way we live, but also how our paths meet with others. Since the medium is overwhelmingly used by millennials today, it has become a new territory to traverse in dating with its own principles and characteristics, which most in the boomer age haven’t experienced.

According to a recent survey by a leading dating app, around 83 per cent of the people above 50 years and 72 per cent between the ages of 21-30 would wish to meet their partners in person to make real connections. Baby boomers seem to be uncomfortable when it comes to virtual dating. They wish to keep the experience real.

However, on the contrary, only 46 per cent of youngsters below the age of 20 would prefer a virtual date. Adding to the surprise element, while 73 per cent of people from both metro cities and small towns favour meeting in person, 27 per cent of them would still go for virtual dating due to the fear of the pandemic.

Ghosting

Undoubtedly, breaking off with someone can never be easy. But at least, baby boomers know how to call it off respectfully, unlike millennials. For them, the breakup paradigm has switched to something cloudier — ghosting, as it has come to be known.

It’s basically ceasing communication with the other person without giving proper reasons, and also ignoring any of their further attempts to reach out. This form of emotional stonewalling is arguably worse than the actual breakup itself. Interestingly, there’s been no solid evidence on the increasing frequency of ghosting by millennials. It’s just looked at as a symptom of the increasing role social media plays in our lives, particularly in relationships.

As per the same survey, nearly 58 per cent of people in the age group 18-20 would ghost their match if they found someone better. Conversely, 73 per cent baby boomers would rather remain friends and end things on a good note.

Casual relationships, friendships or marriage?

It is arguably gen Z’s breezy approach that gave rise to online dating apps and made phrases such as ‘hooking up’ and ‘friends with benefits’ part of the lexicon. But when it comes to serious lifelong relationships, they like to take it slow. As the survey states, approximately 45 per cent of people in the age group of 18-30 are looking for friendships on dating apps as they feel friendships lead to lasting relationships in the future. Almost 44 per cent of baby boomers want to find a partner or companion as they want to have real heartwarming conversations.

The fear of rejection

A pervasive trope maintains that baby boomers have thicker skin than millennials, and one cannot agree more. Earlier, when dating apps didn’t exist and people met physically, baby boomers used to take the risk of getting rejected right then and there. Terrifying prospects like these didn’t stop them from expressing their feelings.

Today, millennials, on the other hand, are afraid to start anything serious, just in case everything turns out badly in the end. Hence, they’re more open to living in a detached and passive state than putting themselves out there. This is exactly what has led to the increasing demand for online dating apps.

(The author is the founder and CEO of QuackQuack, an online dating platform.)