Notions of what makes a person attractive have shifted sharply from one generation to the next, according to a breakdown published by dating and relationships outlet YourTango.
While youth and symmetrical features remain broadly universal markers of attraction, YourTango reports that every generation from baby boomers to Generation Z has developed its own distinct preferences. Older generations tended to focus on an end goal of marriage and children, prizing partners who could offer stability, while younger people place more weight on who a person actually is.
Baby Boomers and Generation X
Baby boomers, born between 1946 and 1964, found it attractive when a partner was willing to work toward a stable life, whether as the family breadwinner or as a homemaker, according to YourTango. Many in this generation were intensely focused on their careers and drawn to people with similar ambitions, while others embraced the hippie lifestyle and saw free self-expression as the most attractive trait of all.
Generation X, born roughly between 1965 and 1980, valued independence and rebelliousness. Children of this generation grew up with an unprecedented level of independence and expected the same from others, so YourTango notes that little was less attractive to them than helplessness. Their views were also heavily shaped by pop culture, as daily exposure to television stars taught them that people who looked or behaved differently could be the most attractive of all.
Millennials and Generation Z
Millennials, born approximately between 1981 and 1996, entered a new era of dating in which attraction rested more on personality, YourTango reports. As the first generation raised with the internet and the first to widely adopt dating apps, millennials cared less about traditional markers of attractiveness. They were comfortable dating people from different social backgrounds or income levels, though they were more likely to draw a line over moral issues such as politics. Respect was another quality millennials found highly attractive, according to the outlet, and with less social pressure to marry, they held out for genuine love rather than settling for less.
Generation Z, born roughly between 1997 and 2012, has taken millennials' romantic priorities further, YourTango says. Their romantic goals differ sharply because their overriding wish is to be happy. Because Generation Z cares more about enjoying a relationship, they do not value stability the way older generations did, instead seeking partners they can enjoy life with rather than ones who can provide for them. According to YourTango, the most attractive partner for Generation Z is someone who understands them and with whom they can have fun.
