Life
Despite the fact that society (and every prying aunt) has a way of pushing relationships down your throat, there are definitely a lot of benefits to being single. And it may be that young millennials are not just embracing that single status, but the majority are actually choosing to be single.
A new survey from Tinder asked over 1,000 single 18-25 year olds about their attitudes toward dating and being single — and what they found may just show a shift in the tide. The vast majority of respondents felt that single benefited them and said that they had made a conscious choice to single for a long period of time — and it's easy to see why some people might make that decision.
"While a healthy relationship is certainly a beautiful thing, there are also plenty of benefits to staying single as well," Logan Cohen, LMFT-S, tells Bustle. "Someone who is single can have their immediate surroundings reflect their specific needs MUCH more consistently than if in a partnership. Single people also have a lot more time to develop their platonic social network, grow professionally, and even do their own personal growth work while not being distracted by the concerns of a partner." There are a lot of benefits. And, interestingly, the Tinder survey found that women might be embracing their single status more than men.
Here's what they survey respondents had to say.
1
81% Of Singles Say Being Single Benefits Them Beyond Their Love Lives
A huge chunk of the singles surveyed said that being single wasn't just about their love life. There was a host of other benefits mentioned, including more time for work, friends, and wellness.
2
72% Of Singles Have Spent Long Periods Single On Purpose
A lot of young people are taking some time out just to enjoy their single life purposefully, rather than doing it as a last resort. The survey found that 72 percent of singles had taken a conscious break from dating. Sixty-two percent of those had done it to prioritize own needs, while 47 percent or people took the time to focus on studying.
3
40% Of Singles Wouldn't Settle For The Wrong Person Just To Be In A Long-Term Relationship
Even when the idea of a relationship appeals, people want to make sure that they're doing it for the right reasons. Forty percent said they were wary of settling for someone who wasn't right just for the sake of being in a relationship.
4
More Than Half Of Young Women Said Being Single Made Them Feel Independent
Far from feeling like lonely spinsters, 54 percent of women said that being single makes them feel independent. Let's call it the Beyoncé effect.
5
Young Women Were More Likely To Feel Empowered By Being Single
Society often portrays men as being happily single, while women are stereotypically "desperate" to get in a relationship. But this survey found that 25 percent of women felt empowered by being single, compared to only 17 percent of men.
6
61% Of Single Women Have Felt Uneasy About A Long-Term Relationship
Sixty-one percent of single women said that they were worried about settling down for the wrong reasons. Interestingly, only 46 percent of single men said the same.
7
More Than Half Of Young Millennials Think Singles Are More Fun
Granted, this was a survey of single people, but 55 percent of those surveyed thought single people were more fun and more open to new experiences than those who are coupled up.
Choosing to be single or to look for a relationship is a very personal choice — and one that's going to be different for everyone. But it's nice to see that young people, especially young women, aren't feeling demoralized by society's pressure to settle down. Instead, they're embracing — and often choosing — a single status. Live it up, ladies.
