Gen Z is the most politically divided generation. This is what we know
Gen Z is the most politically divided generation. That’s what we know now about how that affects their relationship with their peers.
Kelly Shear’s date appeared 30 minutes late at the bar they were supposed to meet, and from there things got worse.
When he finally arrived, Shia, now 23, was studying international politics at the University of Delaware at the time, says they began talking. She asked him one of her go-to, first-age questions: What is your most controversial take?
“I believe everyone has a controversial take deep within them,” she says. “This guy, he was like, ‘I don’t have it’ at first. And I said, “That’s not true.” And he thought for a moment about it and he was like, “Oh, I think it’s wrong to be gay.” “
Thanks to these cases, Shia, who firmly describes herself as a leftist, draws a hard line when it comes to dating and politics. If someone is on the far right, she is not interested. If someone is moderately or centrally on the right side in John McCain or Mitt Romney’s vein, she says – she may give them a chance.
“Politics is definitely a factor in my date,” says Shea. “Someone matches me or doesn’t match me, but they like my profile and everything else, they say ‘conservative’ and I absolutely say ”. I think that political differences are OK to some extent.
She’s not alone.
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In addition to the many pitfalls of online dating, Gen Z needs to navigate the dating situation characterized by a sudden political polarization between men and women. An April poll by NBC News found that the partisan division between men and women aged 18-29 was wider than in other age groups, with 53% of Gen Z women identifying themselves as Democrats. Conversely, 38% of young men surveyed were called Republicans, compared to 20% of young women.
Political gender disparities are yet another romantic hurdle for a generation that is less sex and burns out on dating apps.
“Because of technology, it’s easier to align yourself with your political identity than it was back then. I think you’re leaking you to a particular denomination,” says Shea. “So I think it’s making people into fragments and segments, so it’s hard to find a common foundation when it comes to dating.”
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How politics is affecting Gen Z’s dating?
Politics has become an increasingly difficult topic in the domain of dating, with many people not wanting to date across the aisle.
Pew’s 2020 survey report says 71% of Democrats probably won’t date anyone who voted for Trump. About half of Republicans – 47% – said they probably wouldn’t date anyone who voted for Biden.
Among Gen Z, political polarization between men and women was seen prominently during the 2024 presidential election. According to NBC News Exit Polling, on Election Day, it was revealed that Gen Z Men voted for Trump, with 47% voting for him and 47% voting for Harris. Trump also won the position as a woman in Generation Z, but the same exit vote showed that 61% of these voters still went to Harris.
The conservative swing among the younger men has also not been lost to daters.
“I’ve seen an uptick in men showing that men are conservative (on dating apps),” says Shea.
This is also true in the liberal dating market, says Kimberly Biz, 28, who hosts the modern femininity podcast, “Rich Little Broke Girls.” Biz, who identifies as the left wing of the centre, says that even in the blue city, many young men hold conservative views without discussing them.
“Many people in New York, Los Angeles, have been holding a more conservative view behind closed doors, wearing these liberal masks socially,” says Biz. “I know that some of my friends who are likely to be conservative will never publicly admit it.”
The men in the right field are also aware of the gap. Win Howard, a former US Marine infantry officer who has won a dual master at Georgetown University, rejoined the dating scene in February after escaping from a long-term relationship. He uses the hinge on a dating app, but he says he rarely uses it. He says he likes to meet women in person.
Still, “I’m aware of dating apps, but I’m probably going to come across the profiles of women with political views,” he says. “And in DC, I definitely feel like I come across liberals often.”
Howard, who builds the centre right label at age 30, says he is open to dating liberal women and believes finding a common foundation is an important part of dating.
“I’m still a huge, huge supporter and I believe in bipartisan and middle-aged meetings. That’s what two party systems should work,” he says. “That’s how I approach dating, because just because someone is on the left, I’m heading to the right.
Should liberals and conservatives date each other?
Relationship experts agree that it is certainly possible for people with opposing political views to have a romance that thrives – as long as they still share their core values and treat each other with respect.
For Bizu, she says it’s important to know someone beyond politics. After all, she says that most people don’t fall properly into the conservative and liberal category. She discovered that accepting this nuance is a good way to find commonality while quickly retaining your value.
“To be honest, when someone has a prejudiced opinion early, it usually comes from either the far right or the far left,” she says. “At that point, it’s not about politics, it’s about this complete nuance and lack of compassion. And for me, I feel that if you’re not curious or open to understanding different perspectives, you’re not interested in building deeper connections.”
It is also important to remember that Gen Z is still young, and many of its members may be able to change their views over time.
For this reason, Bizu encourages fellow Zers to remain open-minded when it comes to dating.
“I’m open to understanding different perspectives,” she says. “Especially Gen Z, we are only the first. We are still building careers and networking. Even though it may have a different political view, we can definitely get something out of this relationship.”
