Most American young men are single. Most young women are not.

[crazy canuck]

I wonder how closely this tracks to the last time we had this kind of wealth inequality and financial insecurity for the young. I'm thinking about the work that Picketty does to compare our current economic circumstances to the Victorian age.

It may be that young women are not becoming choosier, but because they now have careers just like men do, they also are economically compelled to wait longer before they choose a companion of significance.

In terms of pushing it back/waiting I'd add that in the UK - I imagine Canada too - and other countries with housing issues that it's also a big issue. We know that affordability of housing has an impact on household formation.

And I think it can cut both ways - the only way to afford a property for most is in a relationship, but the inability to afford especially a family home, is a huge problem in people deciding whether to have a family or not and requires people to save for longer.

 

[Jacob]

In terms of pushing it back/waiting I'd add that in the UK - I imagine Canada too - and other countries with housing issues that it's also a big issue. We know that affordability of housing has an impact on household formation.

In China, the theory that young people are holding back on marriage and parenthood because they simple can't afford the cost of appropriate housing is widely accepted.

[HVC]

While that explains lack of marriage would it explain the disparity of dating percentage?

[Legbiter]

There were some studies a little while back that dating apps are largely skewed to a low percentage of men. 20% of men get 80% of the action (I maybe misremembering the percentages and confusing it with the 80/20 rule , but it's around there )

That and maybe the younger women are in relationships with slightly older men. But yes online dating has an extreme winner-takes-all effect among men. Those 80/20 ratios resemble Bronze Age Yamnaya Indo-European pastoralists killing off the the Neolithic agriculturalist male lines 5000 years ago.  

[Jacob]

While that explains lack of marriage would it explain the disparity of dating percentage?

That's a good question.

[crazy canuck]

While that explains lack of marriage would it explain the disparity of dating percentage?

A whole generation of young men sitting in a room playing video games and lacking the ability to speak to others (especially women) or engage in social interactions?  The minority who did not go this way are rather sought after for dates. 

[crazy canuck]

There were some studies a little while back that dating apps are largely skewed to a low percentage of men. 20% of men get 80% of the action (I maybe misremembering the percentages and confusing it with the 80/20 rule , but it's around there )

That and maybe the younger women are in relationships with slightly older men. But yes online dating has an extreme winner-takes-all effect among men. Those 80/20 ratios resemble Bronze Age Yamnaya Indo-European pastoralists killing off the the Neolithic agriculturalist male lines 5000 years ago.  

My bet is that the percentage of women dating younger men has increased as women have begun to earn on par with men.

[garbon]

While that explains lack of marriage would it explain the disparity of dating percentage?

A whole generation of young men sitting in a room playing video games and lacking the ability to speak to others (especially women) or engage in social interactions?  The minority who did not go this way are rather sought after for dates. 

Now we are blaming video games?

[HVC]

So 60 percent of young men are pathetic video playing shut ins? Even if you just take the difference that's 30 percent. You think 1/3 of young men fit this criteria? Are the 30 percent of single women losers too?

*Edit* stupid phone

[crazy canuck]

While that explains lack of marriage would it explain the disparity of dating percentage?

A whole generation of young men sitting in a room playing video games and lacking the ability to speak to others (especially women) or engage in social interactions?  The minority who did not go this way are rather sought after for dates. 

Now we are blaming video games?

No, video games don't force young men to spend their lives playing them.  Young men do that to themselves.

[crazy canuck]

So 60 percent of young men are pathetic video playing shut in? Iveb if you just take the difference that's 30 percent. You think 1/3 of young men fit this criteria? Or thr 30 percent of single women losers too?

When I was a young man I would say that there were easily 30% of my peer group who had difficult speaking to young women.  Add in the factor of a lot of young men spending a lot of time they would otherwise have spent socializing, playing video games instead, and yeah - its probably more than 30% that have trouble being social.

I recognize this will be an unpopular opinion in a group who has only video games in common.  But do you think playing video games for hours a week increases the chances of a young man to get a date or lesson that chance?

[HVC]

Going back to the studies I mentioned; social apps make striking off partners easier then in the past. The overwhelming majority of women want to date someone over 6 feet tall. That's 14.5 percent of the male population. Over 80 percent are eliminated right off the bat, that's even before their video game playing becomes a factor

[HVC]

So 60 percent of young men are pathetic video playing shut in? Iveb if you just take the difference that's 30 percent. You think 1/3 of young men fit this criteria? Or thr 30 percent of single women losers too?

When I was a young man I would say that there were easily 30% of my peer group who had difficult speaking to young women.  Add in the factor of a lot of young men spending a lot of time they would otherwise have spent socializing, playing video games instead, and yeah - its probably more than 30% that have trouble being social.

I recognize this will be an unpopular opinion in a group who has only video games in common.  But do you think playing video games for hours a week increases the chances of a young man to get a date or lesson that chance?

Would you replace video games with another hobby? Like say basketball practice for hours a week . It's not like men who would be playing games automatically transfer that time to a social activity with women present. Covid and money probably plays a much greater part in the lack of opportunity to engage with women socially.

[Barrister]

Going back to the studies I mentioned; social apps make striking off partners easier then in the past. The overwhelming majority of women want to date someone over 6 feet tall. That's 14.5 percent of the male population. Over 80 percent are eliminated right off the bat, that's even before their video game playing becomes a factor

Men are probably just as bad though, at least in terms of wanting to date someone who is conventionally attractive.

I remember one guy from my fraternity days who seriously married up - his now wife is a wonderful woman, but my fraternity brother scooped her up because most guys wouldn't date a girl with such a large birthmark on her face.

[crazy canuck]

So 60 percent of young men are pathetic video playing shut in? Iveb if you just take the difference that's 30 percent. You think 1/3 of young men fit this criteria? Or thr 30 percent of single women losers too?

When I was a young man I would say that there were easily 30% of my peer group who had difficult speaking to young women.  Add in the factor of a lot of young men spending a lot of time they would otherwise have spent socializing, playing video games instead, and yeah - its probably more than 30% that have trouble being social.

I recognize this will be an unpopular opinion in a group who has only video games in common.  But do you think playing video games for hours a week increases the chances of a young man to get a date or lesson that chance?

Would you replace video games with another hobby? Like say basketball practice for hours a week . It's not like men who would be playing games automatically transfer that time to a social activity with women present. Covid and money probably plays a much greater part in the lack of opportunity to engage with women socially.

Well, spending hours a week doing sports tends to put one into social situations which increases the chances of meeting women.  Also, engaging in physical activity also has other positive side effects that tend to be considered attractive.