Gen X, the generation once accused of being too skeptical of anything communal, is apparently more open to polyamory than the kids who invented “situationships.”
A new report from Sister Wives, a dating site for polyamorous and polygamous relationships, analyzed data from more than 18,000 users and found that millennials and Gen X made up the largest share of those exploring multiple-partner relationships. Millennials ages 35 to 44 dominated the site with 38 percent of users, while Gen X accounted for about 21 percent. Gen Z? Just 5.5 percent, the smallest group after seniors.
“It’s midlife experimentation that’s driving users to seek new relationships,” the platform’s report said. Sister Wives CEO Christopher Alesich told the New York Post that younger daters may simply not be ready for the “rules” of ethical non-monogamy—clear communication, boundaries, and time management. “Not everyone in this age group has had a chance to fully develop those skills,” he said.
Gen Z Isn’t Leading the Polyamory Trend—Gen X Is
Experts agree the divide has less to do with values and more to do with experience. “I would suspect that it’s more of a maturation effect than a cohort effect,” said Terri Conley, a psychology professor at the University of Michigan who studies non-monogamy. “Gen Z participants may not be mature enough to consider multiple relationships at a time…given that they have relatively brief relational histories.”
Conley added that many young adults still grow up with “cultural messages about monogamy as the pinnacle of romance.” That messaging, combined with their shorter dating track record, may explain why the youngest generation isn’t filling polyamory forums just yet.
Dr. Justin Lehmiller, a Kinsey Institute research fellow and host of the Sex and Psychology podcast, said his own findings support that. “Compared to millennials, Gen Z was both less experienced with and less open to the idea of being in some type of sexually open relationship,” he said. “There’s this stereotype of young adults as being very sexually liberal—as being the generation of polyamory. But it’s not really matching up with the data.”
Gender trends add another twist. Gen Z women show more curiosity about polyamory than women in any other generation, accounting for nearly 26 percent of users in their age group. Men, however, still outnumber them overall, and by Gen X and Boomers, that gap widens.
Psychologist Michelle Drouin says younger daters may simply prefer less formal platforms. “They can use Hinge or Tinder to find polyamorous partners,” she said. “There’s no need for them to commit to a sister wife when they can have a bevy of sister girlfriends.”
Maybe commitment-free connection is the real Gen Z brand after all.
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