Posted by Marriage and Family Make a Comeback with Upward
Marriage and family is back in style and chivalry is not dead. So says Upward, the dating app for singles who want relationships that will lead somewhere lasting.
It’s a popular concept again and data surrounding the dating app indicates that Gen Z and Millennials have a renewed appreciation for traditional values of marriage, family, faith, and community. One in four US singles between ages 18 and 34 strongly identify with these concepts – a strong pushback against casual relationships and something not represented in apps designed for the hookup culture.
The Upward app speaks to 72% of Gen Z singles who report they want to get married and have a family, according to Match Group’s recent Singles in America Survey. Trad wives and chivalry are welcome.
Upward says their app is centered on ‘modern courtship.’ “For a generation told to keep things casual and see where they go, saying you want marriage can almost feel countercultural,” Lauren DeFord, director of brand marketing at Match Group, said in a press release, “Built for people dating with marriage in mind, Upward is a home for singles who…hold strong standards and believe dating should lead somewhere.”
Data shows many young singles want to tie the knot. The movement accompanies a surge of “trad wife” trends on social media, with young women rejecting modern stereotypes for more traditional relationships. The trend reached new heights this year with the success of the New York Times bestseller for 23 weeks, Yesteryear, a novel about a trad wife influencer who wakes up in 1855.
Arriving at a time when Gen Z is frustrated with the current dating scene, Upward hopes to fill a timely need. “On Upward, nearly…99 percent of people want kids,” said Stephanie Danzi, Match Group’s global chief marketing officer. “For them marriage is not an if, it’s a when.”
The app contains a new Marriage Timeline feature where members can convey within what timeframe they hope to get married. Danza shared that the average time from match to marriage for couples who met on Upward was under a year, according to anecdotal evidence.
Upward includes a Chivalry Mode, where men are allowed to make the first step in reaching out to a potential partner, but they aren’t required to. There’s also a Core Values section where users can see how their priorities compare to how others stack up their values. “Family” is by far the most selected value, chosen by nearly every member between 18 and 30 on the app.
The old becomes new. Danzi said the old checklist was primarily “height and income.” Now, she says, it’s all about values, which shows that perhaps the most timeless virtues never go out of style. Who knew dating could lead to marriage and family? Read more about the emerging trend.