Janet Christie's Mum's the Word - Who says romance is digital for Generation Z?

For all the swiping and scrolling, it seems it’s hard to click on dating apps

Despite the fact that Youngest Child and I are in love with zombie thriller The Last Of Us, screaming our way through an episode each night prior to bedtime, it seems her generation have a weakness for romance.

That’s if a press release that drops into my inbox saying half of the population think their parents’ love stories are more romantic than theirs is true.

“Is it?” I ask Youngest.

“Oh yes, definitely,” she says. “Because our generation is all dating apps whereas yours met in real life in the olden days. The first time you met someone in the before times, it would be in person and you’d know what they were really like.”

This is true, for better or for worse, usually worse.

“But your generation go and meet people you’ve met online,” I say.

“Yeah but not all the time. We don't really want to meet them, we're just enjoying chat on the apps. And it’s not really romance, more fantasy. Dating is all online and it makes it easier, but we just like looking at pretty people. It's not a realistic thing because they're not at their jobs and doing boring real life things or how they really look. So you spend a lot of time online, just timewasting.”

“Why do you all do it then?”

“To find someone.”

“Well why not cut out the internet and go and meet real people?” I say.

“We do go places, but nobody goes up to anyone any more and talks to them or asks them out in person,” she says.

“Well you've been asked out in clubs,” I point out.

“Only by weirdos. The only romantic thing that happens is when people meet through mutual friends and spend time together, then romance comes later. There are a lot more steps to go through before you're a couple and then you’re stuck in it, and nobody wants that, so we stay online. That’s why there’s no romance.”

“I guess it was better in the before times,” I say.

“Oh no, I didn’t say it was better. Just that there was more what was called romance, and it just seemed romantic because of all the sexism and abuse then. I’d rather have now,” she says and returns to her screen.

“Oh soooo cute. Looks adorable. Like.”

That ping sounds promising, but something tells me she’s scrolling kittens.