by Grace Reynolds

November 2024

The dating app Feeld, in partnership with Dr. Justin Lehmiller of the Kinsey institute, issued a report that focused on Gen Z’s sexuality and relationship style, and how it compares to other generations. Feeld, an app focused on those exploring non-traditional sexuality, including non-monogamy and  kink, conducted a short survey of its members with this goal in mind.

Some of the more interesting findings:

Gen Zers (55 percent) were the most likely to report kinky fantasies, followed by 52 percent of Millennials, 31 percent of Gen X, and 12 percent of Boomers.

81% of Gen Z fantasize about monogamy and 44% say they fantasize about it often. This compares to 71% of other generations fantasizing about monogamy and 23-27% saying they fantasize about it often. One explanation given by the report “is that older adults have simply had more practice with monogamy, and some may have found that it is not for them, or they may have just found that after a long period of monogamy, they have a craving for sexual novelty and newness.”

Gen Z seems to be more open to kink than other generations. 56% of Gen Z reported BDSM fantasies, compared to 52% of Millennials, 31% of Gen X, and 12% of Boomers. The report offers two explanations: older generations have had more time to explore and learn about kinks; and younger adults have more interest in kink, which may mean more openness to kink. 

18% of Gen Z identified as gender diverse and 71% reported a sexual identity other than heterosexual—many multiples more than the general population. Gen Z also reported the highest rate of change for these identities, with 10% reporting gender identity change and 18% reporting sexual identity change—both higher than any other generation surveyed.

While the Feeld survey provides an interesting glimpse into Gen Z’s preferences and how they compare to other generations, it’s difficult to extrapolate its results more broadly. Since the survey was given to Feeld members, it takes on a selection bias driven by Feeld’s own demographics: those who are technologically able, own a smartphone, and have enough disposable income to afford a membership. 

This is also seen in the survey demographics, which are skewed when compared to the general population: 

80% of responses came from just three countries (U.S., UK, and Canada);

65.3% of responses came from male-identified people (although it’s not clear if these are cisgender men, or if this includes transmasc people);

42% of responses were from those who identified as heterosexual.

While the survey offers some insight and is generally consistent with other research, it doesn’t go far beyond this.