One of the fallouts of the culture of convenience that capitalism has afforded us (along with Tesco Express and Domino’s) is that we’ve become so entitled that we basically expect everything on our own terms, all the time. Our most recent need, apparently, is having a part-time relationship to fit around our schedule. Enter journalist Helen Croydon, first lady of website parttimelove.co.uk, which functions as a space for people looking for intimate relationships… just not all time.
Aimed at like-minded people with busy work schedules, apparently it’s for ‘singles looking for regular partners with mutual attraction, genuine friendship, respect and a magical spark but whom have no expectations of moving in after three months and value their free time and independence.’
This poses a couple of questions. Namely, that we’re not sure who these people pushing to move in with someone after three months are exactly, and also why you can’t value your ‘time and independence’ while also having a boyfriend you see frequently. But anyway, let’s say that there are men and women that are looking for this level of commitment-without-the-actually-seeing-each-other bit. Can it ever really work? And what’s behind it?
One reason for this new desire for part-time relationships might be working hours in the UK (full-time employees in the UK work for the third-longest amount of time in the EU, completing an average of 42.7 hours a week compared to the EU average of 37.4 hours, according to the Office for National Statistics) while the convenience of dating through apps like Tinder may have affected the psychology of dating to the extent that working around busy schedules is paramount to a new generation of daters.
Though the case studies on the site are from people aged in their thirties and forties, a quick facebook shout-out of mine* flagged up that the desire for low-maintenance relationships may be the future. While some may see this as an extreme repsonse to managing a work-life balance, one-day-dating might be the answer you’ve been looking for. Maybe.
*A Facebook status asking ‘Would you be interested in pursuing a relationship where you only saw your partner one day a week’ has 12 positive responses in two hours from both men and women aged 20-29. (Note: this is not legitimate research.)
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Picture: Getty
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.