January 29, 2025

Romantic Recession: How Politics, Pessimism, and Anxiety Shape American Courtship

Daniel A. Cox, Kelsey Eyre Hammond

Donald Trump’s triumphant return to the White House in 2025 will transform the political landscape, but his polarizing presence may have enduring social consequences as well. Postelection surveys showed a 14 percentage point divide in support of Trump between unmarried men and women. While single women largely rejected Trump, more single men embraced him.

Single men and women also have dramatically different views about what Trump’s election means. Single women are uniquely fearful of Trump’s return to power. Among those who voted for Kamala Harris, 41 percent of single women and 26 percent of single men report that they are frightened by Trump’s election. Six in 10 single women believe that women in the US will be worse off under a second Trump presidency. Most single men do not share these same concerns.

Unsurprisingly, many straight single women are leery of dating men who support Trump. These feelings are especially strong among college-educated single women—nearly three-quarters of whom say they would be less likely to date a Trump supporter.

But politics is not the only potential dating obstacle. Even as online dating has grown in popularity, transforming the way singles meet and whom they can meet, there is a rising concern about safety. A growing number of single men and women no longer believe dating apps are safe. Fewer than four in 10 women who have never been married believe that dating apps are a safe way to meet people, a 23-point drop since 2019. Single men have also become less comfortable with online dating, although most still believe the platforms offer a safe way of meeting people.

Ongoing concerns about safety and trust, which have become more acute since the #MeToo movement, have altered the dating landscape.[i] More than one in three single women believe that most men or all men would take sexual advantage of a woman if given the opportunity. Single men are far less likely to believe that men would engage in this type of behavior. There is also a gender gap in views about whether women would abandon their partner or spouse if they could be with someone better. Roughly one in four (24 percent) single men and 15 percent of single women believe that most or all women would leave their current partner for someone who was wealthier and more attractive.

Most single Americans who have never been married still aspire to find a partner, but when it comes to dating, confidence and hopefulness are in short supply. Most single men (57 percent) and single women (54 percent) feel pessimistic about finding a partner they would be happy with. But despite sharing a sense of pessimism about their prospects, substantially more young men are single than young women (59 percent vs. 44 percent). This report, based on two large national surveys of over 5,000 respondents, breaks down the public’s outlook on contemporary dating.

Dating in the Trump Era

With Trump’s election, the country is poised to return to another four years of deeply polarizing political leadership. Although the initial public reaction to Trump’s election is less hostile than it was in 2016,[ii] there is a massive gender divide among single voters. Unlike the 2020 election, which saw single men and single women largely aligned in their opposition to Trump’s candidacy, the 2024 contest was notable for how differently single men and women voted. Most unmarried men voted for Trump in 2024, but only 39 percent of unmarried women voted for him.[iii]

The Gender Divide in Feelings About Trump’s Win

Unsurprisingly, Trump and Harris voters have very different feelings about the election, but Harris-voting women and Trump-voting men are even more deeply polarized. Men who voted for Trump are the most enthusiastic about his win, while female Harris supporters are the most fearful about her loss. Thirty-nine percent of men who voted for Trump say they feel excited about his return to the White House. Forty-three percent of men who voted for Trump say the outcome makes them feel hopeful. Fewer women who voted for Trump (31 percent) say they are excited by the prospect of him becoming president again.

Harris voters are overwhelmingly disappointed in the election outcome, but women who voted for Harris are much more fearful. Close to half (46 percent) of women who voted for Harris say they are frightened by the election outcome, a feeling shared by only 29 percent of men who supported her.

Single women report much more negative feelings about Trump’s election victory than do single men. Nearly six in 10 single women report feeling frightened (27 percent), disappointed (25 percent), or angry (7 percent) about Trump becoming president again. Single men are far less bothered by the outcome. Just over four in 10 single men report feeling frightened, disappointed, or angry.

Most single women believe that women in the US will be worse off under a Trump administration. Sixty percent of single women believe that women will be somewhat worse off or a lot worse off with a second Trump presidency. Less than half (47 percent) of single men believe things will be worse for women after Trump becomes president again.

Married men and women are less concerned than single men and women about how women will fare under a second Trump presidency. Roughly four in 10 (41 percent) married women and 35 percent of married men believe things for women will get worse under Trump.

Dating Deal-Breakers: Trump Supporters and Feminists

Among single Americans, men and women have pronounced preferences regarding their partner’s politics, specifically whether they support Trump. More than half (52 percent) of single women say they would be somewhat less likely or a lot less likely to date a Trump supporter. Only 36 percent of single men say they would be less inclined to date someone who supports Trump, while nearly half (47 percent) report that it would make no difference to them.

Education further accentuates the gender divide in dating preferences. Nearly three-quarters (73 percent) of college-educated single women would be less likely to date a Trump supporter, including 52 percent who say they would be a lot less likely to. Less than half of single women without a college degree report that they would be hesitant to date a Trump supporter. Almost half (46 percent) of college-educated single men express reservations about dating a Trump supporter. Almost one in three (31 percent) single men without a college degree say they would be less likely to date someone who supports Trump.

Harris voters are especially reluctant to date a Trump supporter. Nine in 10 single women who voted for Harris say they would be less likely to date someone who favors Trump. Nearly three in four (74 percent) single women who voted for Harris say they would be a lot less inclined to date a Trump supporter.

Single women give a variety of reasons for why they would be reluctant or would refuse to date a Trump supporter. One single woman said: “It is no longer a political difference; it is a difference in morals. If you are a Trump supporter I can only assume you support the rights of only straight white people and traditional values. That does not align with my beliefs.”

For many single women, Trump’s derogatory statements about women and accusations of sexual assault against him are prime reasons for wanting to avoid dating one of his supporters. As one woman said: “Trump has set a new low standard in his treatment of women, and many of the men I talk with admire him for that and would follow his example.” Another single woman echoed this sentiment: “Men who support Trump actively support someone who disregards women’s rights, views women as objects, and views violence against women as acceptable. Anyone who votes for or supports Trump believes that these issues are not important.”

Polls have shown that fewer young men are identifying as feminist, but most men would not rule out dating someone who was a feminist.[iv] More than half (51 percent) of single men say it would not matter to them whether a prospective romantic interest identified as a feminist. Still, for a significant number of single men, feminism is a red flag. Nearly four in 10 (39 percent) single men say they would be less likely to consider dating a feminist.

Dating Problems and Pessimism

Most Americans, even those who are not currently dating or who have not dated in a long time, believe that dating has become more challenging. Sixty-two percent of Americans say dating is more difficult today than it was a decade ago. Ten percent believe it is easier, and roughly one in four (26 percent) believe it is no different.

Single Americans share this general view. Sixty-two percent of single men and 67 percent of single women believe dating is more difficult today than it was 10 years ago.

Not only do single Americans perceive dating to be more arduous, but they express a substantial degree of pessimism about finding an ideal partner. A majority (55 percent) of singles say they are pessimistic about finding someone to be in a committed relationship with. This feeling is shared roughly equally among single men and women. A majority of single men (57 percent) and single women (54 percent) report feeling pessimistic about finding a partner they would be happy with.

Even though four-year college graduates are far more likely to get married today than those without degrees, college-educated singles are more pessimistic about their dating prospects. Among college-educated singles, 69 percent report feeling pessimistic about finding a partner who is right for them, compared to less than half (48 percent) of singles who have a high school degree or less.

Online Dating Troubles

Online dating has become an increasingly common method for singles to meet prospective partners, but there are signs of rising fatigue and discontent with the swiping experience. Less than half (45 percent) of single men and only about half (51 percent) of single women report ever having used an online dating platform.[v]

One key complaint with dating online has to do with safety. Americans are increasingly coming to the view that dating online is simply unsafe.

Americans who have used dating apps or websites in the past year are more likely to say the experience left them feeling more pessimistic than optimistic. Close to half (46 percent) of people who use online dating sites or dating apps report that the experience has made them feel more pessimistic about dating. Seventeen percent of users say the experience has made them feel optimistic, and 36 percent say they feel neither optimistic nor pessimistic.

Social Media Dating Stories

Given the number of young users on social media, posts that discuss dating experiences are fairly common, but single women are far more likely than men to report regularly coming across posts by women complaining about their dates. More than four in 10 (41 percent) single women say that often or nearly every time they use a social media platform they come across content in which a woman is sharing a negative dating experience. Thirty percent of single women report that they see this type of content once in a while.

Perhaps reflecting their less frequent social media use, single men are far less likely to report that they have seen men discussing negative dating experiences online. Only 17 percent of single men report that they see this type of content every time, almost every time, or often.

Growing Safety Concerns with Dating Apps

Perceptions of dating app safety have plummeted over the past five years. Only 41 percent of Americans believe that dating sites and apps are a “very safe” or “somewhat safe” way to meet people. In 2019, a majority (53 percent) of the public said dating apps are generally a safe way to meet potential romantic partners. In 2024, most Americans (58 percent) believe that dating apps are not too safe or not at all safe.

Concerns about safety are much more pronounced among women who have never been married. Only 35 percent of unmarried women say dating apps and dating sites are safe, a massive drop from 58 percent who considered online dating at least somewhat safe a few years earlier. Unmarried men have experienced a more modest but still significant decline in perceptions of dating app safety. Today, 54 percent of unmarried men say online dating is a somewhat or very safe way to meet someone.

The gender gap among unmarried Americans has grown as it pertains to views about dating app safety. In 2019, there was a 13-point gap between the views of unmarried men and women. This has grown to 19 points in 2024.[vi]

Tenuous Online Connections

Perhaps one reason singles are more pessimistic about online dating is that the apps are less likely to yield a second date—especially if the first one does not go well. Only 14 percent of single Americans say they would definitely or probably go on a second date with someone they met online if the first date did not go well.

Single men and women express similar reservations about giving second chances to people they meet online. Sixteen percent of single men and only 11 percent of single women say they would probably or definitely be willing to go on another date after a bad first date. However, single women are more willing than single men to definitively rule out a second date. Fifty-nine percent of single women, compared to 40 percent of single men, say they would definitely not go on a second date if they did not enjoy the first.

Single Americans who are introduced through friends are somewhat more forgiving about first-date disasters, but there are large gender disparities. Close to half of single Americans say they would definitely or probably give someone a second chance if they met through mutual connections (48 percent) or a close personal friend (45 percent). In both instances, single men are more willing than their single female counterparts to go on a second date after a bad first date. More than half of single men say they would definitely or probably go on a second date with someone they met through mutual friends (55 percent) or a close personal friend (52 percent) even if the first date was bad. Fewer than four in 10 single women say they would give someone a second chance if they met through mutual acquaintances (39 percent) or a close personal friend (37 percent).

Dating Fears: Being Alone vs. Being with the Wrong Partner

Overall, unmarried Americans tend to worry more about being in the wrong relationship than not being able to find a partner at all. A majority (56 percent) of Americans who are not married say they worry more about ending up with the wrong partner than they do about not finding someone to build a life with. Four in 10 (40 percent) say they worry more about not being able to find a partner.

Americans who are currently single—not living with a partner or in a committed relationship—are more evenly divided in their concerns about dating. Close to half (45 percent) say they worry about never finding a romantic partner, while half (50 percent) say they are more concerned about ending up with the wrong person.

There is a modest gender gap among singles in this regard. Single women are somewhat more likely than single men to say they are more concerned about ending up with the wrong partner (55 percent vs. 47 percent).

“Not All Men”: Would Men Take Advantage of Women?

Recent research has found that concerns about sexual violence have risen since the #MeToo movement, especially among single women.[vii] Women are significantly more likely than men to believe that men would be willing to take advantage of a woman sexually if given the opportunity. Twenty-seven percent of women say that “all or nearly all men” or “most men” would take advantage of a woman sexually provided the opportunity. Only 16 percent of men agree. Roughly half of men and women (46 percent and 47 percent, respectively) believe “some men” would be willing to take sexual advantage of a woman. Nearly four in 10 men (37 percent) and roughly one-quarter of women (24 percent) say “only a few men” or “very few men” would do this.

Single men and women have starkly different views about how many men would sexually take advantage of a woman. More than one in three (35 percent) single women believe that most or all men would take advantage of a woman sexually if they were presented with the opportunity to do so. Only 16 percent of single men believe that most or all men would engage in this type of behavior. Single men are also much more likely to believe that this type of behavior is the exception among men, a view far fewer single women share. Thirty-seven percent of single men say only a few or very few men would take sexual advantage of a woman if they could. Only 20 percent of single women agree.

Romantic Rejection and the Bigger, Better Deal

Romantic rejection has always been part of dating, and most Americans have had to experience it at some point in their dating lives. Seventy percent of Americans report that they have been rejected by someone they were attracted to or romantically interested in at least once. Only about one in four (24 percent) Americans say they have never been rejected. Five percent of Americans report that they have never been interested in someone romantically.

Even if rejection is a common romantic experience, the frequency of these experiences varies considerably by gender. In general, men are more likely than women to report facing romantic rejection. Twenty-eight percent of men and only 16 percent of women report that they have been rejected at least a fair number of times. Women are nearly twice as likely as men to report that they have never been rejected (31 percent vs. 16 percent).

Another way to understand the gender dynamics of romantic rejection is to look at the proportion of men and women who experience the most frequent refusals. Men far outnumber women among Americans who report being turned down often. Men make up seven in 10 Americans who say they have been rejected many times, nearly every time or every time. Men also make up a majority (58 percent) of those who report having had romantic overtures rejected a fair number of times. In contrast, women make up two-thirds (67 percent) of those who say they have never experienced romantic rejection. The gender gap in romantic rejection holds regardless of relationship status, age, race or ethnicity, or educational attainment.

Concerns that women would abandon their partner for someone of higher status—someone who is wealthier and more attractive—is a familiar idea, but few Americans believe women engage in this type of behavior. Relatively few Americans believe that women in relationships would abandon their partner if they had an “opportunity to be with someone who was wealthier and more physically attractive.” Only 16 percent of Americans overall, including 19 percent of men and 13 percent of women, believe that “all or nearly all women” or “most women” would leave a partner if they had an opportunity to be with someone wealthier and more attractive.

However, this view is more common among single men. Nearly one in four (24 percent) single men believe that most or all women would leave their partner for someone else who was wealthier and more attractive. Only 15 percent of single women agree.

Regrets About Past Sexual Relationships

Feeling regret about a past sexual encounter is fairly common among Americans. More than one in three (34 percent) Americans report they have had a sexual experience they agreed to but later regretted. Women are only somewhat more likely than men to report having this experience (36 percent vs. 30 percent).

Americans who have had more sexual partners are much more likely to report having a consensual experience they later regretted. Only 20 percent of Americans who have had one sexual or romantic partner say they had an experience they regretted. Americans who had between five and nine partners are almost twice (38 percent) as likely to report having a sexual experience they consented to but later regretted. A majority of Americans who had at least 20 sexual or romantic partners report having regrets about a past sexual encounter.

Is Masculinity Important for Men’s Dating Success?

Americans are somewhat divided over whether straight men who are viewed as traditionally masculine have an advantage in dating. Approximately half (51 percent) of Americans say that straight men who are “not very masculine” have more difficulty attracting women. Forty-six percent of Americans disagree.

Men and women have similar views on whether being masculine helps straight men in dating. Fifty-three percent of men and 48 percent of women agree that men who are not that masculine struggle more to attract women.

Single men and women hold nearly identical views to those of men and women overall. Fifty-four percent of single men and half of single women believe masculine men have an advantage in attracting women. However, among college-educated singles, there is a dramatic gender gap in views about the importance of masculinity. Almost two-thirds (64 percent) of college-educated single men believe men who are not masculine have a hard time attracting women. A clear majority (62 percent) of college-educated single women reject the idea that men who are not masculine are at a disadvantage with dating, while only 43 percent of all college-educated women agree.

Gen Z and the Future of Dating, Romance, and Marriage

Few technological developments have had a greater impact on romantic interactions and dating than the internet. The rise of dating apps and social media have fundamentally altered the way single men and women meet each other and communicate. But dating apps are not the only way smartphones and the internet have altered dating dynamics. The accessibility of online pornography has uniquely influenced Generation Z—an entire generation exposed to this content far earlier than previous generations. Today, young adults are learning about sex and sexual relationships from online pornography long before they start dating.

Rising Pornography Use and the Decline in Teen Dating

For most Americans, their initial romantic dating experiences occur during their late teenage years. For some teenagers, the freedom of being able to drive, having a later curfew, or simply gaining more independence allows these relationships to flourish. But teenage dating is in decline. Younger Americans are less likely to report having any dating experience at all.

For previous generations of teenagers, dating was nearly a ubiquitous experience. Eighty percent of baby boomers report having had their first romantic experience by the time they reached their late teen years. Roughly three-quarters (76 percent) of Gen Xers say the same. Two-thirds of millennials report that by the time they turned 20 they had already had at least one romantic dating experience.

Dating is significantly less common for Generation Z. Only 58 percent of Gen Z adults report having gone out on a date during their teen years or earlier. A substantial number of Gen Z adults report reaching adulthood without ever having had a dating experience. Three in 10 Gen Z adults, including one in three (33 percent) Gen Z men, report they have never gone out on a romantic date.

The Proliferation of Pornography

As teenage dating has become less common, pornography has simultaneously grown more abundant and accessible. Sixty-eight percent of Americans report having ever watched a pornographic video, a rate that is even higher for men. Not only has the frequency of pornography use grown with the introduction of smartphones, but the age at which young people are first exposed to pornographic content is much younger.

More than four in 10 (41 percent) Gen Z adults report having watched a pornographic video before the age of 15, including close to half (45 percent) of Gen Z men. The percentage of millennials who were first exposed to pornographic videos at this age is nearly identical (41 percent), while far fewer Gen Xers (24 percent) and baby boomers (5 percent) report having seen a pornographic video by this age.

No generation was exposed to pornographic videos at an earlier average age than Generation Z was. Among Gen Z adults who report having seen a pornographic video, the average age at which they first were exposed to this type of content is about 14 years old. Americans in older generational cohorts were exposed to pornographic videos much later. For baby boomers who have ever watched pornography, the average age is nearly 10 years older—22.3 years old.

Overall, men report having first watched pornographic videos at significantly earlier ages than women have, but this is less true for Generation Z. Gen Z women and men report having first been exposed to pornographic videos at roughly the same age.

Perhaps more notably, Gen Z adults are, on average, being exposed to pornographic content well before they have their first dating experience. Among Gen Z adults who have ever gone out on a date, the average age of this experience is 16.9, roughly two and a half years after the average age of Gen Z’s first exposure to pornography.

Marriage Doubts and Relationship Uncertainty

Today, Americans are delaying marriage until later in life, and more Americans are deciding not to get married at all. There are many reasons marriage has become a lower priority for young adults today. For women, one crucial reason might be that they have doubts about whether the institution leads to a better life.

Single women not only reject the idea of marriage but also believe it’s a liability. More than half (55 percent) of currently single women believe that single women are generally happier than married women. Forty percent of single women disagree. Most other women and most men disagree. Only 22 percent of married women believe that single women are happier than married women.

Men largely reject the idea that single women are happier than married women. Only 30 percent of single men and 19 percent of married men believe that single women live happier lives than those who are married.

Interestingly, men and women generally agree that single men are not happier than married men. Fewer than four in 10 single men—and 31 percent of single women—say single men are happier than married men. Married men overwhelmingly reject the notion that single life is better for men. Only 22 percent of married men believe single men are happier than married men.

The Rise of Situationships

Being uncertain about a relationship status, an experience commonly referred to as a “situationship,” is more common for young adults dating today than it was for baby boomers. More than one in three (36 percent) Gen Z adults report that they have been uncertain about their formal relationship status. Thirty-eight percent of Gen Z women and nearly as many Gen Z men (34 percent) report that they have had a sexual or romantic relationship with someone but were unsure of how they would define it. In contrast, far fewer baby boomers (23 percent), including roughly equal numbers of men and women, report ever having the experience of being unsure about their relationship status. However, the feeling of relationship uncertainty is not unique to Gen Z; close to as many millennials and Gen Xers report having this experience.

Conclusion

Dating and courtship at any age and in any era has entailed some amount of insecurity and anxiety. Navigating an uncertain relationship status, handling romantic rejection, and fearing for personal safety are not entirely new experiences for single Americans. However, online dating has altered the way couples meet and interact and raised concerns about personal safety. There is evidence that these concerns have only become more salient after #MeToo.

Additionally, the accessibility of online pornography may have far-reaching effects for how young people think about romantic relationships and sex and perhaps the incentives to pursue them at all. The rise of online dating—offering a seemingly unlimited number of potential partners—may reduce willingness to invest time and energy in a single person or date, especially if initial impressions are not positive. The growing political differences between single men and women during the Trump era may further exacerbate tensions in dating.

Finally, with more young single women questioning the benefits of marriage, relationship goals have become less clear and a greater potential source of disagreement. Young singles today are forced to navigate a world where traditional dating norms are being redefined by technology and a rapidly changing culture. Many are not enjoying the experience.

About the Authors

Daniel A. Cox is the founder and director of the Survey Center on American Life and a senior fellow in polling and public opinion at the American Enterprise Institute.

Kelsey Eyre Hammond is the program coordinator and a researcher for the Survey Center on American Life at the American Enterprise Institute.

Methodology

American Gender and Society Survey

AEI’s Survey Center on American Life designed and conducted the survey. Interviews were conducted among a random sample of 5,837 adults (age 18 and up). All interviews were conducted among participants in the Ipsos KnowledgePanel, a probability-based panel designed to be representative of the US general population, not just the online population. Interviews were conducted in Spanish and English between August 16 and August 26, 2024.

The Ipsos KnowledgePanel recruitment process employs a scientifically developed address-based sampling methodology using the US Postal Service’s latest Delivery Sequence File—a database that fully covers all delivery points in the US. Households invited to join the panel are randomly selected from all available US households. Persons in the sampled households are invited to join and participate in the panel. Those selected who do not already have internet access are provided a tablet and internet connection at no cost to the panel member. Those who join the panel and who are selected to participate in a survey are sent a unique password-protected log-in to complete surveys online.

Because of these recruitment and sampling methodologies, samples from KnowledgePanel cover all households regardless of their phone or internet status, and findings can be reported with a margin of sampling error and projected to the general population. KnowledgePanel members receive a per-survey incentive, usually the equivalent of $1 (though for some it is $2) in points, that can be redeemed for cash or prizes. Panelists receive a unique log-in to the survey and can complete it only once. Two reminder emails were sent for this study.

The data were weighted to adjust for gender, race and ethnicity, education, census region, household income, language dominance, race by age, race by education, and 2020 presidential vote. The sample weighting was accomplished using an iterative proportional fitting process that simultaneously balances the distributions of all variables. The use of survey weights in statistical analyses ensures that the demographic characteristics of the sample closely approximate those of the target population. The margin of sampling error for the qualified survey sample is +/–1.4 percentage points at the 95 percent level of confidence. The design effect for the survey is 1.1786.

December 2024 American Perspectives Survey

AEI’s Survey Center on American Life designed and conducted the survey. Interviews were conducted among a random sample of 5,244 adults (age 18 and up). All interviews were conducted among participants in the Ipsos KnowledgePanel, a probability-based panel designed to be representative of the US general population, not just the online population. Interviews were conducted in Spanish and English between December 12 and December 19, 2024.

The Ipsos KnowledgePanel recruitment process employs a scientifically developed address-based sampling methodology using the US Postal Service’s latest Delivery Sequence File—a database that fully covers all delivery points in the US. Households invited to join the panel are randomly selected from all available US households. Persons in the sampled households are invited to join and participate in the panel. Those selected who do not already have internet access are provided a tablet and internet connection at no cost to the panel member. Those who join the panel and who are selected to participate in a survey are sent a unique password-protected log-in to complete surveys online.

Because of these recruitment and sampling methodologies, samples from KnowledgePanel cover all households regardless of their phone or internet status, and findings can be reported with a margin of sampling error and projected to the general population. KnowledgePanel members receive a per-survey incentive, usually the equivalent of $1 (though for some it is $2) in points, that can be redeemed for cash or prizes. Panelists receive a unique log-in to the survey and can complete it only once. Two reminder emails were sent for this study.

The data were weighted to adjust for gender, race and ethnicity, education, census region, household income, language dominance, race by age, race by education, and 2024 presidential vote. The sample weighting was accomplished using an iterative proportional fitting process that simultaneously balances the distributions of all variables. The use of survey weights in statistical analyses ensures that the demographic characteristics of the sample closely approximate those of the target population. The margin of sampling error for the qualified survey sample is +/–1.6 percentage points at the 95 percent level of confidence. The design effect for the survey is 1.48.

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Notes

[i] Daniel A. Cox, “After #MeToo Have Women Become More Afraid of Men?,” American Storylines, September 5, 2024, https://storylines.substack.com/p/after-metoo-have-women-become-more.

[ii] Pew Research Center, Public Narrowly Approves of Trump’s Plans; Most Are Skeptical He Will Unify the Country, November 22, 2024, https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2024/11/22/americans-feelings-about-the-state-of-the-nation-reactions-to-the-2024-election/.

[iii] Humera Lodhi et al., “AP VoteCast: How America Voted in 2024,” Associated Press News, 2024, https://apnews.com/projects/election-results-2024/votecast/.

[iv] Daniel A. Cox, From Swiping to Sexting: The Enduring Gender Divide in American Dating and Relationships, AEI Survey Center on American Life, February 9, 2023, https://www.americansurveycenter.org/research/from-swiping-to-sexting-the-enduring-gender-divide-in-american-dating-and-relationships/.

[v] Part of the explanation for why a majority of singles are not using dating apps may be the rise of social media platforms, such as Facebook and Instagram, that are not exclusively used for dating but provide opportunities to meet romantic partners.

[vi] Pew Research Center, “American Trends Panel Wave 56,” 2019, https://www.pewresearch.org/dataset/american-trends-panel-wave-56/; and Pew Research Center, “American Trends Panel Wave 111,” 2022, https://www.pewresearch.org/dataset/american-trends-panel-wave-111/.

[vii] Cox, “After #MeToo Have Women Become More Afraid of Men?”