{"id":9662,"date":"2026-04-26T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-26T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/graziav2\/?p=9662"},"modified":"2026-04-22T10:16:55","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T10:16:55","slug":"gen-z-is-embracing-a-shocking-new-dating-trend-on-tinder-but-the-rules-are-still-unclear","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/graziav2\/2026\/04\/26\/gen-z-is-embracing-a-shocking-new-dating-trend-on-tinder-but-the-rules-are-still-unclear\/","title":{"rendered":"Gen Z is embracing a shocking new dating trend on Tinder \u2013 but the rules are still unclear"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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What can Gen Z teach us about ethical non-monogamy?<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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According to Tinder, 34% of people aged 18-25 in the UK have considered it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

words by bonnie mclaren<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
\"Woman<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As someone swiping through dating apps, I often see the term ethical non-monogamy under preferences on people\u2019s profiles. And now, according to Tinder, it’s one of the biggest trends for Gen Z \u2013 as the app say 34% of people aged 18-25 in the UK have considered ENM.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And it\u2019s not just in Britain. This backs up a wider trend on Tinder, as 14% of global users who share their relationship type now identify with non-monogamy, while 22% say they\u2019re open to exploring. And according to the app, many say they\u2019d feel more confident exploring ENM with clearer rules (27%), better understanding of boundaries (26%), and hearing from those with lived experience (21%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you don\u2019t know, ethical non-monogamy is an umbrella term for any relationship which isn\u2019t exclusive (and it differs slightly to polyamory, which a specific type of ENM focused on having multiple romantic relationships at the same time). Though, according to the app, it might be growing in popularity, there still seems to be some common assumptions around EMN \u2013 many still associate ENM with being \u2018complex\u2019 (28%) and \u2018messy\u2019 (26%), with nearly 1 in 5 considering it a form of cheating. This is something Paul C Brunson (yes, from Married At First Sight<\/em> UK) says are huge misconceptions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2018What many don\u2019t realise is that ENM requires significantly more structure and accountability than monogamy,\u2019 he tells Grazia<\/em>. Another fear many have about ENM is getting jealous of their partner having other relationships or liaisons, or vice versa. \u2018Another common myth is that ENM removes jealousy. It doesn\u2019t,\u2019 Paul adds. \u2018Jealousy is a natural human emotion. What ENM does is invite you to develop better tools to understand and manage it, rather than avoid it.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paul also adds that some assumptions \u2018ENM is purely about physical connection\u2019 are also incorrect. \u2018For many, it\u2019s actually about autonomy, identity and the ability to experience different kinds of emotional connection,\u2019 he adds. \u2018It\u2019s less about sex and more about self-awareness and relational choice.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As for why it seems to be booming with younger generations Paul says \u2018the Gen-Z demographic is unique in the fact that they often tend to question inherited systems and this includes relationships\u2019. \u2018Many young people today have doubts surrounding the rigid and \u201cold fashioned\u201d institutions that surround love, marriage and monogamy, with many turning to a more fluid approach whilst they develop a greater understanding of their own wants,\u2019 he adds. \u2018There is also a greater cultural shift towards openness and equality within relationships, which aligns with the communication-heavy nature of ENM.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

‘Strong ENM relationships are built on explicit agreements, ongoing consent, emotional transparency and clearly defined boundaries’<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

If it\u2019s something you think you might want to consider, Paul has advice. And unsurprisingly, he says you should understand your motivations beforehand. \u2018The most successful approach to ethical non-monogamy begins with clarity, not curiosity alone,\u2019 he says. \u2018Before opening up a relationship, it\u2019s important to first understand why you\u2019re doing it. Is it about growth, exploration, or alignment with your values? When that intention is clear, everything else becomes easier to navigate.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, he says, it\u2019s about strong communication. \u2018Strong ENM relationships are built on explicit agreements, ongoing consent, emotional transparency and clearly defined boundaries,\u2019 he continues. \u2018This isn\u2019t about adding more people into your life – it\u2019s about redesigning the structure of your relationship in a way that works for everyone involved. This requires communication. Honest, consistent, emotionally intelligent communication. The truth is, clarity isn\u2019t awkward – it\u2019s attractive. It builds trust, reduces anxiety and allows both partners to move forward with confidence and security.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He says \u2018the biggest challenge\u2019 for couples \u2018isn\u2019t logistics\u2019, rather \u2018emotional readiness\u2019. \u2018Many people struggle to clearly express their needs, boundaries and fears without either overcompensating or shutting down,\u2019 Paul continues. \u2018That can create a disconnect between partners, where one feels more secure or confident than the other. Monogamy often comes with an unspoken script. ENM removes that script entirely. While this creates freedom, it also requires people to actively negotiate their relationship in real time, which can feel vulnerable.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2018The real work is learning how to communicate with honesty and care,\u2019 the dating expert adds. \u2018That means being able to name feelings like jealousy without shame, set boundaries without guilt and hear difficult truths without escalating conflict. Without those skills, people either avoid ENM altogether, or step into it in ways that can undermine trust. But with them, it can become a space for deep growth, connection and self-understanding.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo: GETTY<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It’s booming for a reason…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":9663,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9662","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-feature"],"acf":{"article_authors":"Bonnie McLaren","send_as_draft":false,"send_as_paid":true,"send_as_featured":true},"modified_by":"guestgrazia","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/graziav2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9662","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/graziav2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/graziav2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/graziav2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/graziav2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9662"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/graziav2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9662\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9694,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/graziav2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9662\/revisions\/9694"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/graziav2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9663"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/graziav2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9662"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/graziav2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9662"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/graziav2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9662"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}