There's a new trend emerging among Black Gen Z women:
Celibacy.
In a new survey from BLK, a dating app for the Black community, 64 percent of
Black Gen Z women said they were celibate. And a significant chunk, 63 percent, of those women said they have chosen celibacy relatively recently, in just the last six months.
Altogether, the shift toward celibacy was high among the young Black dating community, with 43 percent of all Black Gen Z daters practicing celibacy, the dating site found.
Black celebrities like 50 Cent, Mya and Omarion have openly supported celibacy, but there could be something larger behind the trend.
Celibacy can be chosen for many different reasons. Some people refer to remain abstinent to focus on their own personal growth, while others have resorted to it after becoming overwhelming frustrated with today's
dating culture.
In the survey,
61 percent said they chose celibacy in order to focus on self-growth, and 66 percent had noted improved emotional wellbeing after taking the plunge.
There didn't appear to be a lot of regret when it came to becoming celibate either, as 87 percent said celibacy had positively affected their dating life or made no difference.
"What we're seeing with Black Gen Z singles is more than just a dating trend—it's a movement towards personal empowerment and emotional well-being," Jonathan Kirkland, Head of Brand and Marketing at BLK, said in a statement.
"
This generation values authenticity and is reclaiming their narratives, prioritizing self-discovery over societal expectations. The rise in celibacy speaks to their desire for healthier relationships, both with themselves and others, and that's a powerful statement."
Monica Cwynar, a licensed clinical social worker with Thriveworks Counseling in Pittsburgh, said the prevalence specifically among the
Black Gen Z community could also be influenced by cultural and historical attitudes towards sexuality and gender roles within the Black community.
"Black women may feel pressured to conform to certain expectations or stereotypes when it comes to sexuality, leading some to choose celibacy as a form of empowerment or resistance against these norms," Cwynar told
Newsweek. "Additionally, Black women may be more likely to prioritize their own personal goals and aspirations over romantic relationships, leading to a higher prevalence of celibacy among this group."
It also could be viewed as a way to protect themselves from hookup culture, Cwynar said.
"It underscores the importance of individual agency, self-discovery, and emotional connections in forming healthy and fulfilling relationships, while also challenging traditional norms and expectations around dating and gender dynamics," Cwynar said
Another dating app, Bumble, previously received backlash online after a launching a series of billboards that appeared to be against women opting for celibacy in their dating lives.
In one of the flashy billboards, the dating app wrote: "A vow of celibacy is not the answer.
In response, many called the dating app out for encouraging casual sëx and rape culture. Since then, Bumble has removed the billboards and issued an apology.
"Women's experiences are at the center of what we do at Bumble," a Bumble spokesperson previously told
Newsweek. "As part of our recent marketing campaign, we included an ad with language around celibacy as a response to the frustrations of dating."
The Bumble spokesperson said the phrasing of the ad might have harmed dating app users in the process, however.
"This was not our intention, and we are in the process of removing it from our marketing campaign and will continue to listen to the feedback from our members," the spokesperson said.
As celibacy becomes more normalized to talk about, some women are even joining what is called the 4B Movement. The movement originated in South Korea where some heterosexual women have boycotted dating, marrying and sleeping with men altogether.
"I am done dating. I'm just done. It's not worth it anymore," one
TikTok user said upon seeing Bumble's old billboard.
www.newsweek.com
