About 43 per cent of daters between 20 and 25 showed extreme emotional maturity when they shared how trends like breadcrumbing, benching, or ghosting - that leave daters stuck in a loop can be easily countered by setting proper boundaries
While Gen-Z might have mastered transparency and boundaries, Millennials are still winning on the emotional front. Image for representational purpose only. Photo Courtesy: istock
The modern dating world has its lingo- breadcrumbing, benching, and whatnot. As navigating relationships is already tough, dealing with these terms can often be difficult and overwhelming for people but seems like Gen-Z and Millennials are finding their own unique way through them.
While these sound ominous, Indian dating app QuackQuack's survey suggests that the truth is much more hopeful. Some of these trends might be toxic, but the fact that daters identified and named them tells a story of emotional awareness and mindful dating. Both Gen-Z and Millennials are growing more self-assured about maneouvering romantic connections, even though the two generations take a slightly different route.
The consumer study, conducted at the beginning of April 2025, surveyed over 10,000 users between 18 and 35 from metros, suburbs, and rural areas. Daters were asked to share their experience with dating trends and how they work around and through them. Respondents were split between Gen-Z and Millennials to get a better idea of the two generations' methods of dealing with new and coming trends.
"What amazes us most is the way both generations are evolving," commented the dating app's founder and CEO, Ravi Mittal. "As the survey shows, the two generations have a gap in the way they approach dating, but, somewhere, it gets bridged by a common factor- they are both becoming increasingly aware and their willingness to beat all odds and find genuine connections. Moreover, we are seeing a cultural shift- mystery was cool back in the days, but clarity is way cooler today."
Setting the standards - Gen-Z is on it
A finding from the survey that stood out is Gen-Z's attitude towards mixed signals and unclear intentions- they called them out and set them right for themselves and the generations to come. 43 per cent of daters between 20 and 25 showed extreme emotional maturity when they shared how trends like breadcrumbing, benching, or ghosting - that leave daters stuck in a loop can be easily countered by setting proper boundaries. Tonya (23) from Delhi said, "We are not afraid of asking, 'Is this going anywhere?' Because if it isn't, why am I being breadcrumbed? And I think it's rubbing off on the once-polite Millennials, too. My sister is 28, and recently, I heard her break off a friendship because they were only around when they needed her and never else."
What do Millennials bring to the table?
While Gen-Z might have mastered transparency and boundaries, Millennials are still winning on the emotional front - they are known for their thoughtfulness. The study shows that 4 in 5 Millennials are more mindful about labeling a connection, as compared to 2 in 6 Gen-Z daters. Both sides have presented their argument, and the conclusion shows two major reasons - one, Millennials are at a crossroads where their age leaves little margin of error in relationships; second, these daters bring more emotional depth to dating than any other. Adar, a 30-year-old professor from Bengaluru, said, "Yes, age factors in, but I would like to point out we were like this even when we were younger. We have seen the slow period with no instant gratifications and also the fast era - we can spot red flags just like the Gen-Zs, but our emotional depth drives us to find greens in people rather than reds."
Decline of toxic trends
The survey comes with a dose of positive news: according to more than 28 per cent of GenZs and 33 per cent of Millennials from Tier 1, 2, and 3 cities, there's a steady decline in toxic trends as compared to the last five years. Awareness around these behaviours and the decision to not settle for less has led to more daters opting for intentional interactions, which, in turn, ushered in the healthy dating era.
Evolution of love language
While 31 per cent of Millennial daters between 30 and 35 shared they still love a well-worded text message to express their feelings, Gen-Zs have moved on to emojis and memes. But interestingly, 2 in 5 Millennials below 30 are catching up to the new love language. Anvita (28) from Mumbai said, "Somewhere, between all these Gen-Z and Millennial differences, we have the same goal. We all want to say the right thing and say it in the right way."
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