In 2025, the ways people seek, form, and sustain relationships are more diverse than ever, yet the core desires driving them remain strikingly familiar. A new nationwide study from The Kinsey Institute in partnership with Match, surveying more than 5,000 singles ranging from 18 to 98 years old, found that while dating tools and cultural expectations are evolving, the fundamental longing for emotional depth, authenticity, and meaningful connection continues to guide the choices people make in love.
The Singles in America study shows that a growing number of people are less concerned with traditional notions of compatibility—such as shared hobbies, financial status, or outward appearances—and are instead prioritizing partners who align with their values and provide genuine emotional support. For many respondents, surface-level matches no longer feel sufficient. Instead, people are focusing on relationships that cultivate honesty, mutual respect, and a sense of being truly seen.
These findings echo a broader cultural shift that has been emerging over the past decade. While dating apps remain a popular entry point for meeting new partners, the way individuals use them is changing. Increasingly, singles report using digital platforms not only to meet but also to express more of their authentic selves—through detailed profiles, conversations about values, and even experimenting with AI-driven tools that assist with communication. The emphasis, researchers note, is not on finding a perfect match according to algorithms, but on creating the conditions for authentic connection.
Alongside this, long-term relationship studies are offering complementary insights. A decade-long longitudinal analysis of mixed-gender couples found that those who reported consistently high and stable satisfaction throughout their relationships experienced the best outcomes across multiple measures, including positive affect, mental health, and overall life satisfaction. Couples with fluctuating or declining satisfaction, by contrast, often reported higher stress levels, poorer well-being, and lower overall life contentment.
What this suggests, researchers argue, is that stability matters just as much as intensity. While passion and excitement can fuel the early stages of a relationship, it is the consistent presence of trust, support, and shared routines that predict stronger outcomes over time. The couples who fared best were not necessarily those with the most dramatic romantic stories or lavish expressions of love, but those who had cultivated a steady environment where both partners felt emotionally secure.
This emphasis on stability ties directly to the role of everyday rituals in sustaining love. Lifestyle researchers have pointed out that small, intentional practices—like sharing daily meals, maintaining open channels of communication, and offering regular physical affection—are far more impactful than grand gestures in maintaining satisfaction over years. These practices create a rhythm of care and attentiveness that can weather life’s inevitable challenges. While anniversaries and celebrations matter, it is the quieter daily acts of connection that most powerfully shape long-term relationship health.
The findings reflect a recalibration of relationship priorities. Many singles and couples alike are focusing less on societal expectations and more on personal alignment. For some, that means seeking relationships outside of traditional structures, while for others it involves setting new standards around honesty, boundaries, and emotional openness. What unites them is a shared understanding that authentic, values-driven relationships have a more lasting impact on overall well-being than those built on superficial compatibility or external validation.
In today’s fast-changing social landscape, where technology is transforming nearly every aspect of life, love remains both adaptive and enduring. Dating apps, digital communication, and AI assistants may alter how people meet and interact, but the human need for connection, trust, and mutual care remains the same. Modern love may look different in its forms, but at its heart, the priorities guiding it are as timeless as ever.
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