As the saying goes, don’t put all your eggs in the same basket. That’s what women do: put their eggs in one basket. Pay more attention to friendship Compared to how they handle dating.
new Research on Connected WomenHelping women over 50 build community, the organization revealed that 81% of women over 18 Friendships are as important to them as romantic relationships.
This statistic is backed up by a UCLA study, which showed that more than half of teens ages 10 to 24 would like to see more platonic relationships depicted in movies and television.
Connected Women’s resident psychologist Jacqui Manning told news.com.au she was not at all surprised by the statistic.
“In general, humans are tribal ‘animals’ and we need people in our lives to enrich our lives, but as we age, the types of relationships we need start to change,” she said.
“Over the past few decades, the traditional family unit has changed, and people have more choices to live the life they want rather than what society expects, which means friendships take on greater meaning than they did in the past (and they’ has always been important).
“And, as we get older, our values, priorities and what we need from these relationships start to change.”
She says it’s also important to remember that there’s nothing wrong with having emotional needs met in the form of friendship, contrary to what cultural norms tell us. need a romantic partner Meet all our needs.
This is not a new concept – Michelle Williams has publicly stated Busy Phillips was the love of her life, Their friendship “proves” that your great love doesn’t have to be a man.
“Many women choose not to form romantic partners because, unlike past generations, they don’t rely on romantic relationships as a factor in their lives, so these friendships become like family,” she said.
“Also, with the help of modern technology, there are new ways to make friends. Online platforms for women of all ages are emerging to bring like-minded women together.”
And, although Gen Z is in a completely different stage of life than the women Manning works with, they are not immune to this shift.
Commenting on the UCLA findings, Manning said young people are more insightful and wise than any generation before them, thanks to their exposure to the internet.
“They have more choices than ever before in terms of lifestyle and priorities,” she said.
“Given this evolution, it’s clear that this generation is eager to witness their own lives and relationships authentically portrayed in pop culture. For Gen Z, this means a significant shift in the cultural landscape shaped by romance-centric narratives. X Generational growth process.
“Instead, there is an increasing emphasis on the importance of friendship, which is a departure from the common focus on romance.”
She said that the choices of Generation Z will continue to expand, and the trend of treating friendship as equally important as love has become a key moment for the transformation of social norms.
“For women of all ages, there is always a place for romance if they choose; however, statistics tell us that these romantic connections are not the be-all and end-all of our happiness and that we can live life to the fullest without A romantic partner,” she said.