Meet a man, get married, start a family. For years, that’s the timeline women have been sold as the most successful pathway to a happy life. However, despite that message being thrown in their faces at every opportunity, women have had enough. New data reveals that women are tired of the incessant pressure to follow traditional relationship timelines.
In fact, one in three now says they’re “no longer focused” on achieving the societal milestones. The findings, published in the 2024 annual dating report from Bumble, show that women are “pushing back” and are instead prioritizing finding the right partner instead of rushing to hit these societal goals. Lucille McCart, Bumble’s APAC communications director, told news.com.au., “Women are increasingly looking around and wondering why they feel the need to follow an outdated rule book when it comes to their dating journeys and relationship milestones.”
She continued, “In fact, 31 percent of women say they’re no longer focused on adhering to traditional relationship timelines and milestones. Some timelines are out, and choosing your own path is in.” This phenomenon is growing so much momentum that Bumble is calling it the “timeline decline,” but shared that the shift isn’t the end of romance as we know it. McCart believes that this phenomenon doesn’t mean that romantic relationships are no longer important, sharing that 72 percent of women on Bumble are looking for long-term relationships.
Still, only 23 percent are seeking out marriage as a goal. McCart explained that typically, when you start dating someone, and it gets serious, it feels like you’re on a hamster wheel, unable to stray away from the traditional expectations around how a relationship should develop, meaning you two should move in together, get engaged, buy a house, get married, start a family, but it’s okay to want different things. She continued, saying that Bumble was built on the concept that traditional gender roles are obsolete and no longer serve us in modern society, so McCart and her colleagues couldn’t be happier to see this revolution happening.
One in eight of those singles embracing the timeline decline also said they’re avoiding family and friends who put pressure on them, which is even more prevalent in Australia, with one in four women avoiding those who disagree with their choices, according to Bumble. The dating app also found other trends in its data, including the number of people who now believe that emotional intimacy is more important than sex, saying it’s more attractive than physical connection. Statistics show that 32 percent of singles are focused on emotional intimacy instead of physical, sexual acts, saying they’re looking for security and safety when dating.
While three in four said their partner must have an understanding of both physical and emotional intimacy. Interestingly, one in four men shared that they’ve changed their behavior when dating, becoming more open with people they’re romantically pursuing than ever before. For a quarter of men, this new-found vulnerability has positively impacted their mental health, and for one in three, a lack of vulnerability is now a dating deal breaker.
When it comes to a dating timeline, women used to feel like they had rigid milestones to meet and would feel like a failure if they didn’t meet these milestones. However, now women are embracing doing things on their own time and letting the chips fall where they may.
