Being Honest and Direct: Hardballing, Generation Z’s Way of Relationships

In dating apps, we choose people primarily based on their appearance, as the photo is the central target. In addition, we know some more information about the person, what he makes available. By giving the match, do you already clarify your intentions?

Hardballing is basically that. Even before the first meeting, it is already established there what exactly you are looking for, informing basic requirements, intentions and expectations.

Establishing a relationship, casual sex, a romance are some of the intentions of the participants of a dating app. In order to avoid misunderstandings, the young people are immediately informing their intentions.

The biggest fear in general is ghosting. The English word sums up the situation when the other person stops responding and disappears completely without explanation. To avoid difficult conversations or even a call to explain what’s going on, it’s simply solved by “disappearing tea”.

Due to social distancing, in which it was necessary to stay indoors as much as possible, avoiding contacts, it became even easier to end relationships through ghosting.

Afraid of wasting time with uncertain relationship situations, fair play is defended right away, as it can prevent you from relating to someone who is not in the same “vibe”.

Basic requirements for dating someone

Women’s Tips talked to two young women from generation Z to find out a little more about how people are relating and what they think about hardballing.

Joana, 27, comments that “in general, very divergent beliefs and opinions become a barrier for me”. For her, the person must have a lifestyle at least similar to hers. In addition, she adds: “I like people who listen to me carefully and who also know how to talk about different subjects”.

The young woman tells us that “breaking face” is part of it and it makes no sense to throw expectations at first, as it ends that process of getting to know the person little by little and only then see what will happen, but points out that it is important to clarify the things as the relationship unfolds. Joana comments: “Sending everything in the can even before having contact with the person seems wrong to me”.

Livia, 22 years old, believes that the first point is to know if the person is conservative, this is the main key to continue the relationship. What makes her continue the relationship with someone is: “If the person is nice, we have things in common, kisses well”. She adds that physical attraction is also important to keep dating going.

The young Lívia points out: “Being a bisexual woman, I know how difficult it is to find men who fulfill the basic requirements of being a decent person”. Among these basic requirements, she lists political awareness, non-reproduction of toxic masculinity, and having emotional intelligence.

The ideas of both converge when it comes to having something in common with the potential partner. “Before going out with someone, I do a basic check on the person’s tastes because I think the person needs to have a lifestyle that is at least similar to mine”. In other words, the main point of a relationship for young women is to be able to share similar conceptions of life, without having to immediately know each other’s intentions.