Modern romance comes with all sorts of newfangled terminology. It’s no longer sufficient to say you’re either single or in a relationship – you have to define the subcategory. Perhaps you’re ethically non-monogamous, practising voluntary celibacy, or in a situationship.
An increasing number of people are looking to less conventional forms of dating and marriage. Over a quarter (27 per cent) of Londoners believe monogamy is no longer 'realistic' in modern relationships, according to a new survey of 1,000 people commissioned by Rayden Solicitors.
This could be attributed in part to changing social norms. With the rise in popularity of dating apps like Feeld, where users can choose from all sorts of desires including ‘friends with benefits’, ‘threeway’ and ‘polyamory’, unconventional relationships have entered the mainstream, leading more people to consider alternatives to traditional monogamy.
Meanwhile, a rising trend among young people is a phenomenon called “relationship anarchy”: an anti-hierarchical approach which sees equal weight given to all kinds of relationships, whether they are platonic, romantic, sexual or familial. Unlike polyamory or open relationships, relationship anarchy doesn’t prioritise romantic bonds over friendships or other connections.
Part of the reasoning for this can be tied to the fact that marriage patterns in the UK have shifted significantly over the past few decades. A recent report from the Office for National Statistics found that not only are people getting married later in life, but more people are choosing to marry at all.
The number of unmarried adults aged 25 to 35 has more than doubled in the last 30 years, rising from 2.7 million in 1991 to 5.8 million in 2023.
Meanwhile, 31 per cent of respondents said they would consider taking a ‘marriage sabbatical’. This is where partners spend time apart from each other to focus on personal growth. The rules of engagement change from couple to couple, but some opt to explore sexually with other partners, while others focus on self-discovery.
The Telegraph’s Celia Walden took a six-week marriage sabbatical from her husband in 2022 and said it worked wonders for her relationship. It’s a rather crucial bit of information that her husband is Piers Morgan, but she was unequivocal about the benefits: “Every married couple should do this.”
