Gen Z has a reputation for being the most liberal generation to date, with its inclusive views on everything from gender to relationships.
Yet a recent study by King's College London has put paid to this assumption, highlighting a growing political divide between young men and women.
According to the study, 1 in 6 men aged between 16 and 29 think feminism has done more harm than good, with 1 in 4 young men believing that it is more difficult to be a man than a woman. Perhaps most upsettingly though, is the fact that a fifth of those who had heard of him think favourably of toxic influencer Andrew Tate. This is a man who has been charged with allegations of human trafficking and rape.
"If men are more likely to sit on the right-wing side of the spectrum, and women on the left wing, has the dating landscape been affected?"
These findings come just a week after the FT published a report that highlighted an emerging ideology gap opening up between young men and women around the world. In every country surveyed, Gen Z was shown to be more politically extreme than their elders, with men’s views skewing more conservative, and women’s more liberal.
With dating apps like Hinge asking users to share their political ideologies on their profiles, it’s clear that where you stand on the big issues has become integral to making the perfect match. And if men are more likely to sit on the right-wing side of the spectrum, and women on the left wing, has the dating landscape been affected?
"I wouldn’t be willing to compromise my beliefs in terms of equality to accommodate them" - Rebecca, age 24
© Eric Cahan“A lot of people list their political leaning on their profile so you have an idea of their opinion before you meet them,” says Rebecca, 24, “I discuss politics on dates, mainly because I talk about it a lot with friends and family so it’s important to me that, however they vote, a person I might spend a lot of time with is politically engaged.”
Yet the important distinction for Rebecca is that she wouldn’t date someone who was vocally anti-feminist. “I’m always up for new opinions and hearing other people’s experiences, but I’d worry that vocal anti-feminism might not make them receptive to other perspectives and I wouldn’t be willing to compromise my beliefs in terms of equality to accommodate them,” she says.
"Sometimes a man might think it’s funny and flirtatious to tease us or wind us up, negging us, about liberal values but this is severely unattractive," explains Thea, 25. "It can even be upsetting for our central beliefs to be mocked, and the punchline is that often the man doing this will think this will put him up in our estimations."
On the flipside, it’s very much a green flag when someone does have more liberal values. "I was absolutely thrilled when I was dating a boy and I went to his house for the first time and saw Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez on his bookshelf," Thea shares. "We shared a lot of the same strong liberal values which made him much more fanciable than other boys I have dated."
"I said I was happy to pay, to which he responded 'You're not a feminist are you?'"
© GettyFor more conservative-leaning men, their views on traditional gender roles might mean that they expect to be the breadwinner – and therefore, to pay for dates. “I once stayed over at a guy’s house,” shares Dolly, 25.
“When he offered to pay for a taxi home the next day, I said I was happy to pay, to which he responded 'you're not a feminist are you?' Another time I was on a date and I paid for the drinks at the bar. The guy I was on a date with turned to the barman and said, 'I actually always pay for everything,' like he was justifying me paying. Suffice to say, I didn’t date either of these men again because of these experiences."
Thea agrees: "Something that can be a good indicator of someone’s values and views on gender roles is when the bill comes. My view is that I make my own money, I decided to go on the date and I don’t want to feel like I owe the other person anything in return. I would even go as far to say that I find it off-putting and annoying if a man is insistent on picking up the bill."
While Millenials had #MeToo, for Gen Z, it was 'Everyone's Invited.' Started by student Soma Sara in June 2020, the viral social media movement saw young women share stories of abuse, mostly enacted by their peers at school.
"I find it off-putting and annoying if a man is insistent on picking up the bill."
Since then, there’s been increasing discussion of toxic masculinity and a culture of entitlement. It’s this awareness that means stats like the above about Andrew Tate aren’t surprising. "I think the rise of loud male voices pushing misogynistic narratives is massively influential on the behaviours of some young people and social media gives it traction, it’s scary," says Rebecca.
"Generally speaking I think Gen Z women are so headstrong in holding liberal values of kindness and respect to all, regardless of gender, sexuality, race, religion, or any other identifier," adds Thea. "And it’s difficult to see this being upheld as a central value alongside conservative political beliefs. Because these values are so important to us, it’s extremely hard to find compatibility with people who don’t share them."
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