Daniel Cox and Kelsey Eyre Hammond ponder the impact of today’s polarized politics on personal relationships.
The 2024 election has shed new light on growing political tensions between men and women and their effects on modern romance. Two new surveys offer a window into how men and women approach dating in the age of social media, dating apps, and polarizing gender politics.
Dating pessimism abounds. Most singles report being pessimistic about whether they will ever find a partner or spouse. There is a greater sense of anxiety about meeting online as well. Fewer Americans believe that dating apps are a safe method of meeting a potential romantic partner. Only 35 percent of unmarried women say they are safe, a 23-point drop from 2019.
There are considerable political disagreements between single men and women. Sixty percent of single women believe that women will be treated worse under the Trump administration, a view only 47 percent of single men share. Not surprisingly, most single women, including three-quarters of college-educated single women, report that they would be less likely to date a Trump supporter. …
… 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.