Dating Young People ~ Is Love a Hassle? ~

Romance is one of those things inseparable from young people, and girls especially love romance. But there's data suggesting that era might be coming to an end.

In fact, when I recently asked female students at a certain private university about romance, responses like "I want a boyfriend, but there are so many other fun things to do right now" and "I don't want to be tied down" suggested that even young women don't necessarily see romance as essential. The equation "college student = romance" might not apply to them.

Furthermore, while the term "girls' night out" has been popular for a while, there's now a tendency to prefer spending time with same-sex friends because "it's more fun hanging out with people of the same gender" and "we share the same points of empathy, so it's more relaxed."

Rather than negative feelings like "dating is scary" or "few opportunities to meet people," the prevailing sentiment seems to be "it's just too much hassle" or "same-sex friends are easier to be with." There appears to be a strong conscious choice to "deliberately avoid dating."

On the other hand, looking at their hopes for marriage and children, "Want to get married: 86.0%" and "Want children: 86.4%" show very high desires for marriage and childbirth.

"I want to skip romance and just get married." This phrase unexpectedly surfaced during a group interview with female office workers in their 20s. For them, the process of romance has shifted from something "to be enjoyed" to something "too much trouble."

While their time remains finite, the variety of entertainment options they spend time on has exploded. Increased time devoted to hobbies they are passionate about, and time spent communicating with friends online as well as in real life, may be contributing factors to why Wakamon are turning away from romance.

Observing young people today might reveal glimpses of a new tomorrow or signs of fresh change.

※1 Cabinet Office Survey on Marriage and Family Formation
※2 Dentsu Inc. "Heisei Student Survey 2012" (conducted September 2012, targeting 700 male and female students aged 15-22 in Tokyo and six prefectures)