Gen Z is ghosting people over dating debt. How did we get here?

For some Gen Z daters, romance ends where the receipt begins.

A Sept. 22 study from Zelle found that 52% of Gen Z daters have ghosted, blocked or unfollowed someone at least once to avoid paying them back after a date.

As Gen Z, the cohort born between 1997 and 2012, struggles with financial anxiety in their dating lives, the process of paying for dates is becoming increasingly stressful. Many are struggling to settle up, with some daters reporting the experience has pushed them into debt or made them resentful.

"If you're thinking about the person who was ghosted and maybe paid for the date, they may have only been able to pay for their half of the portion,” says Aja Evans, a licensed mental health counselor and financial therapist who is the author of “Feel-Good Finance.” “That can really sour a person around what dating culture looks like.”

Gen Z, saddled with student loans and entering a slowing U.S. labor market amid skyrocketing costs of living, is increasingly anxious about their financial situation, and it’s carrying into their dating lives.

The study, which surveyed 900 Gen Z respondents and 900 Millennials, found that rising costs have affected 84% of…

Original source: https://www.usatoday.com/life/