“Probably when this documentary comes out, we are no longer together,” Aitana says to what his partner Sebastián Yatra was in a commented sequence of . But in the singer’s words there is no glimpse of sadness, but the calm of who, as at the other time of her documentary, is aware that a point comes where love simply ends. His words reinforce what Bell Hooks (thus, in lowercase) Afrofeminist writer, wrote in the essay (Paidós editions, 2021). “The youth of our time are skeptical of love because the vast majority have the feeling that it is impossible to find it.”
Several studies indicate that generation Z adopts a pragmatic approach in love by not prioritizing romantic relationships. The labels do not go with the youngest either. As Mickey Langlais indicates in research (Defining and describing the ‘situationships’: an exploratory investigation), while according to the triangular theory of the love of psychologist Robert Sternberg the experiences of company love or love consummated are usually preceded by romantic love, the so -called situationships They demonstrate that relationships can be experiences of romantic love without obligation. That is, a romantic love in which both parties manage to enjoy the moment without being considered that it will end at wedding. Goodbye, birds in the head and hello, bird in hand.
Already in 2023 Tinder indicated in his annual study Year in Swype That in the profiles of the users there was a 49% increase in mentions to this type of relationship, ensuring one in 10 of the young single surveyed who preferred to bet on a relationship of true love, but without strong commitments, to have links in which the pressure was lower. That was precisely the year that included among the most popular words the situationships. “It is a term popularized by social networks and modern dating programs. It seems to have been coined in the late 2000s or early 2010 and refers to a romantic or sexual relationship that is not considered formal or established and that is sometimes outside social conventions,” they say. They also indicate that the word reflects the uncertainty and lack of formalization that many people feel about their relationships. That, probably, they go hand in hand with the vital uncertainty that affects a whole generation that walks towards adult life while living the rise of fascism, climate disaster and the economic crisis. In that panorama, who thinks of love?
Adrián Chico, author of (Bruguera, 2025), explains to Icon that the flexibility of emotional ties implies more probability of success in love. “The fact that relationships adapt more to the individual needs of each person, instead of following a rigid or traditional model for fear of getting out of the script, allows people to have relationships that go more in line with their own desires. This can translate into greater sincerity and a healthier way to bring the links, because they are more aligned with what the person is really able to give,” he says.
Love is not forever. Better.
The psychologist, sexologist and couples also comments that knowing that love does not have to be forever can be liberating because it allows you to live relationships with less pressure and more authenticity, choosing to be with someone for desire and not by obligation. “Knowing that there may be more than a great love in life allows people to give more opportunities and have faith in recovering their past happiness and even improving it. In addition, knowing that love may not be forever, it does not imply that it cannot be. Knowing it does not harm our way of want Person loses interest in relationships due to that belief that nothing will last, ”he says before he clarifies that he believes that the key is to balance the freedom we have acquired with affective responsibility and the desire to build.
Haim female group recently launched the theme Relationshipswhose music video captures the cyclical nature of the appointments: exit, meet someone, move, break and start again. “I think I’m in love, but I can’t stand the whores relationships,” says the catchy chorus. The issue reflects that relationships are often emotionally exhausting, and the letter of the subject questions whether those who are immersed in those relationships that seem not to have a brilliant becoming are wasting time. Sonia Encinas, sexologist and therapist specialized in couples, believes that the idea that there are relationships that “go anywhere” is false, because it considers that this thought responds to the wrong mandate that a relationship or hard forever or not worth it.
“That idea leads to a lot of anxiety, because it often leads us to initiate relationships needing its duration and if they will fulfill the items that marks the script learned: exclusivity, coexistence, children, mortgage … and perhaps you do not want to fulfill all those mandates. So, your relationship is worth less? No! The same thing happens with the duration. A relationship is not only to receive, it is also to give a relationship is to take care of and to know how to take care of it. But they are the two extremes: given the minimum difficulty to go or, on the other hand, stay forever in a relationship that does not satisfy me. “Recognizing that a healthy and satisfactory relationship may or may not last forever should push us to understand that, at least, we must take care of it to continue,” he adds.
“The fact that relationships adapt more to the individual needs of each person, instead of following a rigid or traditional model for fear of getting out of the script, allows people to have relationships that go more in line with their own desires.”
Adrián Chico
As they demonstrate relationships boomerang such as Aitana and Sebastián Yatra (a very particular case of two artists who travel all over the world and have nothing common, but at the same time serves as a reflection for thousands of fans of both worldwide), the best thing when the relationship does not give more of itself is to break. “I don’t know if I will fall in love again, but it makes me excited to know that I have fallen in love. That makes me very happy,” says Aitana in the documentary. Because happiness for gene generation does not necessarily imply being in a relationship, but more flexible links and assume that the end of love is not, much less, a failure.
As indicated by Chico, while for some the absence of labels is a way to avoid external pressures and enjoy the link without expectations imposed, for others, prolonged ambiguity can generate confusion and emotional wear, especially if one of the two wants greater clarity. “The important thing is that both parties feel good about the dynamics and that there is sincere communication about what they expect. I think it is wrong to label a relationship model as better or worse,” he says. Pop culture continues to give examples of how new couples advocate low intensity relationships in which flexible ties prevail. This is the case of romance between Noah Centineo and Zoë Kravitz. “They do not want to put tags to the type of relationship they have, but they spend time together and want to maintain moderate intensity,” revealed a source close to the couple to the magazine .
Diana Ackerman states in (Paidós editions, 2021) that although everyone agrees that love is wonderful and necessary, no one can define what it is. “We use the word love in such a careless way that it may not mean almost anything or absolutely everything,” he writes. And generation Z shows that at present, love can mean many things without any of them being better better than another.
