'Relationship anarchy' may cure Gen Z's loneliness, Feeld reports
Non-monogamy has entered popular consciousness in recent years, with terms like open relationship and polyamory becoming more visible online. But what about relationship anarchy?
Relationship anarchy (or RA) is a philosophy that regards all relationships as equally important and unique. In RA, no relationship should be bound by rules that aren't entirely agreed on by the involved parties. The phrase was coined by writer and activist Andie Nordgren and seeks to apply the principles of anarchism (which calls for abolishing authority and hierarchy) to relationships.
SEE ALSO: Is Feeld for normies now?
RA takes center stage in Feeld's (the app for kinky and non-monogamous people) latest State of Dating Report, which is co-written by sex educator and author Ruby Rare. The report states that RA could be the antidote for Gen Z's loneliness.
Both before and since the outbreak of COVID, Americans have felt lonely. In 2023, then-Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued an advisory about the loneliness epidemic. As the report cites, Gen Z is the loneliest generation, according to experts.
But relationship anarchists on Feeld report less loneliness and a higher likelihood of valuing deep and broad connections. RA practitioners on the app are 1.5 times more likely to say having a diverse range of connections helps with loneliness, 31 percent more likely to report feeling like they can shape their relationships to meet their personal needs, and 20 percent more likely to report having a reliable support network. (This is according to internal and external surveys of over 3,000 Feeld users and 6,000 non-users taken in February 2025.)
"RA is one of several possible avenues to develop emotional depth and resilience, and broaden your community: there's no-one-size-fits-all approach here," the report states.
While relationship anarchy isn't as well-known a term as non-monogamy, polyamory, or swinging, one in five non-Feeld members realized they've practiced it (or are practicing) a relationship style that fits within its definition. The realization spiked to one in two people who are on Feeld.
But, as with any relationship style, there are challenges to RA. Negotiating relationship boundaries was 536 percent(!) more challenging for RA Feeld members than non-RA members. A reason for this could be the lack of a script to follow when practicing something like RA — anything other than monogamy, really. Those who practice RA were also 96 percent more likely to have experienced negative reactions from prioritizing seeing multiple partners over focusing on one partner. But as the recent dating scene has shown, daters have trouble being in communication with other people to begin with.
Last year, Feeld's State of Dating Report found that Gen Z actually fantasizes about monogamy (and kink). Guess that didn't last long. You can see all the findings in Feeld's State of Dating Report.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Sold Out Twice in 6 Months: Pilgrim's Viral Lipstick Launch Breaks the Internet
MUMBAI, India, June 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Pilgrim, one of India's fastest-growing clean beauty brands, has made a spectacular entry into the booming ₹6,000 Crore lips category within the rapidly expanding makeup segment. In just seven months, the brand has achieved viral success by selling over 500,000 units of its Matte Me Up Bullet Lipstick, Liquid Lipstick, and the first-of-its-kind Dubai Bling Glitter Lipstick—cementing its position as one of India's fastest-selling clean beauty lipstick brands. A key driver of this phenomenal growth has been Pilgrim's robust creator-led strategy, involving more than 1,000 influencers, from top-tier influencers to an engaged army of micro-influencers. Their campaigns for the Glitter Lipstick and Matte Me Up Liquid and Bullet Lipsticks generated over 100 million impressions across social media excitement created among Gen Z and Millennials led to the lipsticks selling out twice in just six months, with the brand clocking an impressive sale of one lipstick every minute. "This isn't just makeup — it's skincare-infused colour innovation," said Gagandeep Makker, Co-founder of Pilgrim. "Every launch is shaped in close collaboration with our community. Our customers repeatedly expressed the need for a hydrating formula that does not compromise on rich colour payoff. That is how our Intensely Pigmented Bullet Lipsticks were born, formulated with hydrating and skin-nourishing ingredients like Spanish Squalane and Hyaluronic Acid. Our collections don't just deliver performance; they tell visual stories that celebrate individuality, global cultures, and our clean beauty ethos." Pilgrim's makeup collections are designed to offer visually immersive experiences, often inspired by rich global cultural narratives. The Dubai Bling Glitter Lipstick campaign, for instance, showcased the dazzling, unique glitter finish and featured iconic shades named after the opulent Dubai lifestyle—The Khalifa, My Habibi, and Royal Noor, becoming instant best-sellers among Gen Z and Millennials alike. Meanwhile, the Spanish Collection drew inspiration from the passionate world of Flamenco dancers from Spain. Influencers embraced this theme by recreating the Spanish Señorita look, complete with roses in their hair and bold makeup, sparking a viral trend among nano-influencers and consumers. The Bullet Lipsticks also received praise for their luxurious packaging, creamy formulation, and inclusive shade range that caters to diverse Indian skin tones—truly, there is a shade for everyone. Pilgrim stands out with its skin-first approach to beauty, partnering with global manufacturers to create state-of-the-art products backed by world-class quality and innovation. Each product is thoughtfully formulated with skincare ingredients, delivering not just colour, but care. Today, the makeup range includes over 100 SKUs, featuring serum foundations, concealers, blushes, eyeshadows, eyeliners, mascaras, and primers, but it's the lip category that has firmly positioned Pilgrim as a disruptor in the Indian makeup space. Building on this momentum, Pilgrim plans to launch 50+ new products in 2025, reinforcing its vision to innovate at the intersection of beauty, skincare, and community. About Pilgrim Pilgrim, a pioneering digital-native beauty brand, is redefining India's beauty landscape. Launched in 2020, Pilgrim swiftly captured the hearts of modern consumers with its innovative, world ingredients-focused approach. The brand's philosophy centres on discovering global beauty secrets and blending them with cutting-edge science to deliver effective, accessible products. Pilgrim's diverse portfolio, spanning skincare, haircare and colour cosmetics, caters to a nationwide audience through its website, app, and major e-commerce platforms. By prioritizing transparency and quality, Pilgrim has cultivated a loyal customer base, serving over a million consumers monthly. For more information, visit: Photo: View original content to download multimedia:
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Cuomo bails on NYC senior center visit where protesters hoped to confront ex-gov over nursing home death scandal
Mayoral hopeful Andrew Cuomo bailed on a planned visit Friday to a Queens senior center as dozens of raging protesters were expected to confront the ex-gov over his botched handling of the nursing homes during the pandemic. About 25 protesters marched in front of Peter Cardella Senior Citizens Center in Ridgewood for over an hour as they eagerly waited to face Cuomo over his administration's controversial directive to send infected COVID-19 patients into nursing homes — which resulted in thousands of deaths. 'I'm still trying to process and come to terms with how to prevent that [a pandemic] from happening again, but I'm pretty dismayed that Andrew Cuomo has the gall to run for mayor,' said Dr. Damien Archbold, an anesthesiologist at Elmhurst Hospital, told The Post. 'I have this moral indignation that Cuomo's running for mayor of New York City after he sold out the city.' Cuomo was initially scheduled to hit the senior citizens center on the campaign trail — prompting the group to rush to the building. 'I like what you guys are doing, where can I get a sign?' one woman asked before joining their ranks. Across the street, a neighbor yelled: 'Hold up your signs so I can take a picture. F–k that guy!' The campaign claims the former governor, who resigned amid a series of scandals, had no plans to show up with the event being cancelled days ago. 'We were never confirmed for that senior center and it was our understanding they knew that as of this past Wednesday, but we look forward to visiting it as Andrew Cuomo continues to meet voters and discuss his vision for a safer and more affordable New York City,' said campaign spokesman Rich Azzopardi. However, two workers in the senior center told The Post the campaign pulled the plug Friday morning. The center is not a nursing home — seniors visit the building to socialize, but do not live or sleep in the building. Protesters, however, viewed Cuomo's visit to an elderly facility as disingenuous after his fatal COVID-19 policies allowed the virus to tear through nursing homes at the height of the pandemic — a responsibility he has continuously declined to acknowledge. Daniel Arbeeny, who attended the rally with We Care Memorial Wall, a group dedicated to 'exposing Cuomo's nursing home death cover-up,' said he was protesting in memory of the loved ones he lost during the pandemic. The Arbeeny family lost four members in a single week, including his beloved father. In a tweet, another activist group, VoicesForSeniors, simply said: 'Coward can't face us!' 'We want the truth. We want the people to know what happened, and we want answers,' Arbeeny said. Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa's team also showed up upon hearing of the demonstration, with his campaign advisor Sharon Liao telling The Post: 'Cuomo made a very wrong decision during the pandemic to send the patients of COVID-19 to the nursing homes. 15,000 people died because of his mistake, and we just don't think he's worthy of being the mayor.' 'I don't care about the sexual harassment, this is real life. This is a more serious matter, we care about life,' she continued. When asked what she would say to Cuomo if he were here today, Liao said: 'Please stop ruining our city. If he ruined New York State when he was the governor, imagine in New York City, which is much more complicated.' Cuomo has skirted blame for the roughly 15,000 people who died in nursing homes across the state during the pandemic, which many have traced back to the then-Governor's decision to shuttle infected patients into the facilities. In March, Cuomo offered a half-baked apology when asked if he owned family members of those who died an apology, saying instead: 'I'm sorry for what they had to go through.' Despite criticism of his nursing home decisions, Cuomo is currently leading the polls for the Democratic nomination for mayor in next month's primary vote over second place rival Zohran Mamdani.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Andrew Cuomo gets heated as he wrongly insist COVID nursing home deaths were not undercounted: ‘That's the Trump line'
Ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo got heated — and raised his voice — as he faced attacks Wednesday on everything from sexual harassment accusations against him and nursing home deaths in New York during the COVID-19 pandemic. Cuomo stood at center stage in the Democratic mayoral primary debate amid a pile up of criticism from the eight other candidates during a fiery NBC-Politico Democratic primary mayoral debate. 'No, we didn't undercount any deaths,' Cuomo loudly insisted during one particularly heated moment. The harshest attack arguably came from the Rev. Michael Blake, a former Obama administration official, who scathingly evoked the sexual harassment accusations that led to the former governor's resignation. 'The people who don't feel safe are young women, mothers and grandmothers around Andrew Cuomo,' Blake said. 'That's the greatest threat to public safety in New York City.' Cuomo, who has vehemently denied the accusations from 11 women, uncharacteristically declined to respond. Blake then seized the opportunity to send a message to to women watching the live debate. 'Everyone woman watching tonight, he was just given a chance to acknowledge the clear claims and he ignored it,' Blake said. But Cuomo didn't stay silent when speaking about coronavirus death in nursing homes. He got animated as he insisted nursing home deaths were not undercounted and also refused to say if he edited his administration's controversial report on the deaths — the lynchpin of the investigation into his time as governor by the Department of Justice. 'There was no doubt that my administration produced the report, and it did not undercount the deaths,' Cuomo eventually said but continued to defend his record. Cuomo said COVID deaths were counted where they occurred — in hospitals or nursing homes. But many of the 15,000 nursing home residents or patients died after they were gravely ill and transported to hospital. And a damning 2021 report by state Attorney General Letitia James found that New York's nursing-home death toll from COVID-19 may be more than 50% higher than Cuomo's administration initially reported. An audit in 2022 by state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli also concluded the state Health Department intentionally 'misled the public' about the number of nursing home deaths from COVID-19 to help burnish Cuomo's reputation before a sexual harassment scandal forced him to resign as governor — claims he denied. 'It's very, it's very clear that's the Trump line, the MAGA line,' Cuomo claimed. The moderators continued to push the ex-gov, but he refused to answer. 'I was very aware of the report,' he said. Cuomo also dismissed a reported Justice Department probe that lied to Congress during his testimony about his handling of the pandemic. 'No, I told Congress the truth,' he said. Rivals pounced. Brad Lander, the city comptroller, accused Cuomo of 'lying' to Congress and 'grieving' nursing home families. Blake accused Cuomo of refusing to answer the questions. At least 4,000 residents died after Cuomo's administration issued a controversial March 25, 2020 mandate for nursing homes to admit 'medically stable' coronavirus patients. Critics have argued the mandate led to the deaths.
