At 24, my mother moved into the flat my father was renting in London. They didn’t know each other; my great-aunt knew of a spare room in Holland Park and my mother needed a place to live. So they became flatmates, and within less than two months they were dating; marriage, my sisters, and me arrived not long after.
I’m simplifying things, of course, but you’ve got to admit relationships did seem come more easily in those days. This isn’t a controversial opinion. It’s well-documented that my generation, Gen Z, is going through a relationship recession, a loneliness epidemic, and a sex drought. Most recently, YouGov reported that one-third of 18- to 29-year-olds have never been in a relationship.
I’m 25, and while I have been in a relationship before, I am currently (and rather reluctantly) single. Minus a few messy situationships it’s been over two years since my last boyfriend.
I don’t consider this a bad thing or a failure on my part. I like the freedom that single life brings, the ability to focus on myself, my friends, and my career. However, as much as I’d like to always be the strong independent woman, there are moments when all I want from life is a relationship. And when this is the case, I do what everyone my age does: turn to the apps, flock to the pub, and pray that this time things will be different. Sadly, they never are.
