Photo by Courtney Hedger on Unsplash
These are interesting times in America. And by interesting, I mean politically divided. If you are a Republican or Democrat, it’s become increasingly harder to share your allegiances with potential dates. However, because of our charged discourse – most daters require that you do.
Your political involvement could make or break your new relationship.
OkCupid say this is especially true for Millennial daters. The company analyzed over 300,000 answers from OkCupid users and found that 85 percent of millennial men and women said voting was “extremely or very important” to them.
85 percent.
This stat comes a few weeks away from midterms elections. Many news outlets are pointing to Millennials and saying they aren’t interested in voting. But if their politics are really impacting their personal lives, it seems they would vote for causes and candidates they believe in. Many have been on the ground phone banking and raising money for local candidates that they can get behind. There is momentum, despite the stereotypes. And this energy and activism bleeds into their personal lives, too.
Melissa Hobley, chief marketing officer at OkCupid, told USA Today that “voting with your dating app” reflects a growing trend among millennial users.
“Your politics matter, and millennials voting in the bedroom is a thing,” Hobley said.
Hobley also noted that since President Donald Trump’s inauguration, OkCupid has seen a “massive spike” in political terms on user profiles. Many daters use certain keywords to indicate allegiances and filter out profiles.
Interestingly, female voters are more concerned that their dates be politically active. It’s even more important than than voting for the same candidates. The study pointed out that 77% of men would date people who are non-voters, compared to 46% of women who said they wouldn’t date a non-voter.
The #MeToo movement plays a role in this gap. Many women are feeling their protections and rights are at risk.
Dating is definitely impacted by our politics, and this won’t be going away anytime soon. I’ve written about reaching across the aisle to engage with dates who had political differences. While it would be nice to say we should engage people who don’t think like us, (and dating is a particularly good way to engage), this is no longer the case. More people are retreating into their political silos, for better or for worse.
It’s not necessarily a bad thing, though. Politics are often the frame in which we choose our values. Dating is also value-driven, and we seek those who share the same. Values underly our actions.
That said, it might improve your dating life if you register to vote. And go to the polls November 6th.
XO,
Kelly
About Kelly Seal
Kelly is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles, CA. She blogs about dating, relationships, personal growth and what "healthy living" means to her. You can follow her on Google+, Twitter @kellyseal or through her website www.kellyseal.com.
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