Gen Z dictionary shows larger generational divide than ever
Amy DeLaura
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Are you someone’s “sneaky link” or “OTP”? Have no idea what that means? Dating as you get older is hard. Trying to understand the younger generation on the dating app? Harder. Well, now Tinder has released a dating dictionary to help millennials understand what their Generation Z love interests are trying to say. It might show an even larger generational divide than ever.
Tinder research shows 62% of people ages 18-25 feel they speak a completely different language compared to older singles they meet online. While most people date in their generation, as millennials have gotten older and married, those who are still single may look to a younger generation to find love.
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While the dictionary includes some well-known millennial-coined terms, “cat fishing” and “vibe,” the Tinder dictionary outlines new phrases and even new types of relationships Gen Z has made up, one being a “situationship,” which is described as “a romantic juncture that hovers somewhere between a steady relationship and an affair or friendship and remains undefined throughout.” Many definitions of relationships were described as noncommittal, as the “hook up” culture seems to be growing and more widely accepted than ever before. People are now “cushioning,” or have many people on the side if their main relationship doesn’t pan out.
Gen Z seems to be a coin-conscious generation, as some unfamiliar terms are about saving money. “Affor-dating” and “frugal flirting” refers to “affordable dates” such as going for walks or coffee.
Some other unknowns were “kitten-fishing,” wherein the date makes themselves out to be better than they are online, not necessarily in looks but in job and lifestyle. Another is “Beige flags,” in which someone is incompatible because they seem boring or basic. The example given is “I got immediate beige flags when her bio said, live, laugh, love.”
Many of the terms focus on sexual preferences and gender ideology, such as transgender, queer, nonbinary, pansexual, polyamory, and ethical nonmonogamy. Notably, many terms have to do with wanting to be environmentally friendly, showing Gen Z values climate change as a high priority when dating. “Eco-dumping” refers to dumping someone who thinks climate change is fake. “Green dating” is when you specifically date someone who shares your values about the environment.
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This dictionary release shows your values can affect the language you use. This could help you understand Gen Z better — that is, if you want to.