Welcome to the dating recession: Why young Americans are giving up on love

Remember "Netflix and chill?" About 10 years ago, the slang emerged like a Gen Z mating call: "Wanna come over and … hang out?"

Maybe it wasn’t the most elegant dating scene, but at least it was a dating scene. According to new study from the Wheatley Institute and the Institute for Family Studies, today’s young adults are in a "dating recession" — 2026 is all Netflix and no chill.

Our 2026 "State of our Unions" report, which surveyed 5,275 single adults between the ages of 22-35,...