THE new sunday express Voices Anand Neelakantan Debashis Chatterjee S Vaidhyasubramaniam Ravi Shankar Deepali Bhardwaj Swami Sukhabodhananda MAGAZINE Buffet People Wellness Books Food Art & Culture Entertainment February 22 2026 SUNDAY PAGES 12 The Many Lives of Love Then and Now A flurry of recent studies on romance and dating records Gen Z’s fatigue with old mating rituals. Gen Alpha is evolving its own code within the freedom it inherited F By Tanisha Saxena ebruary is the month of love. And as the song says, let’s talk about love—and its temperamental sibling, romance. According to a flurry of current studies, 2026 is witnessing several important shifts in youth mating rituals. One is ‘hot-take dating’: partners seek shared values and radical transparency and strong views are stated upfront. 'Friend, fluence’ is the growing power of buddies to shape romantic choices through group dates, double dates, and collective vetting. The science of dating has replaced the search for “The One”, encouraging experimentation and learning in early relationships instead of destiny-driven thinking. Then there are micro-transactions: small, thoughtful acts like a midnight airport drop or stocking the fridge while a partner is away—preferred over expensive gifts. Rudeness and extreme macho posturing are firmly out. What matters instead is emotional vibe coding, and vulnerability is the new red rose. “To Gen Z, and to some extent Gen Alpha, vulnerability isn’t weakness; it’s vocabulary. Love now arrives with disclaimers: I need space. I’m not emotionally available right now. This is my boundary,” says Dr Aditi Govitrikar, mental-health advocate and actor. “OTT shows like Mismatched simply held up a mirror to what this generation is actually experiencing, and that relatability made them feel seen.” The hit TV series is about a traditional, never-saydie romantic who is smitten by a free spirited girl whom he wants to marry. Romantic fasting is a new trend that reflects an eversion to traditional ‘must dos’ by not participating in Karva Chauth and Valentine’s Day rituals, switching to ‘airplane mode’ for mental and physical self-care. Paradoxically, in an always-online world, platforms like Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) continue to shape how relationships are perceived, and manipulative practices such as ‘breadcrumbing’— stringing someone along with little gestures and messages without making a commitment—don’t cut it any more in an era of transparency and public accountability. A 2025 study found no significant gender differences in commitment levels among Gen Z, underscoring that emotional satisfaction now matters to both sexes equally more than conventional cosplay. Academic institutions, including Delhi University, are introducing courses on navigating modern love: how to spot red flags, manage expectations, and survive heartbreak. The boundaries between two generations that are shaping trends today, namely Millennials and Gen Z, are blurring. Z is not for the ‘All Work No Me’ trope supported by online communities, while Millennials are sick of the everyday pressures of work, home and relationships. Online content has become emotional scaffolding. “OTT platforms, podcasts and social media have expanded who gets to tell love stories—queer, interfaith, poly, neurodiverse,” says psychotherapist Namrata Jain. “This reduces shame and makes romance inclusive. But it also introduces pressure. Emotional intelligence can become performative, vulnerability a metric, and people feel compelled to ‘do progressive love’ publicly.” Gen Z has a romance ready mix: traditional Indian values plus self-determined, digital-first approaches to romance—an “Almost Era,” where Gen Z is not for the ‘All Work No Me’ trope supported by online communities, while Millennials are sick of the everyday pressures of work, home and relationships Parental attitudes are changing towards marriage. The emotional safety of daughters comes first to mothers. Fathers worry less about community optics and are concerned about the financial stability of suitors instant gratification is binned and the sweet sharpness of yearning and anticipation, and then the reassurance of presence matter more. About 53 per cent of Indian Gen Z seek equal partnerships. Jain captures the shift clearly: “Love is no longer defined by the outside world comprising family, duty, society or fixed roles. It’s becoming an internally guided experience.” Parental attitudes are changing towards marriage. The emotional safety of daughters comes first to mothers. Fathers worry less about community optics and are concerned about the financial stability of suitors. The markers that record the historically relevant brand ambassadors of romance have continually shifted across films, music, and books, mirroring broader social change. Films: They have been the most powerful influencers of all. In the black-and-white ache of Devdas, and Dilip Kumar’s haunted restraint, love was a lifelong wound—a beloved forever out of reach. In the 1970s and ’80s, the sexually avant-garde film Bobby launched the demure, pulchritudinous Dimple Kapadia and the strawberry-cake charm of Rishi Kapoor, making young love cheeky and bold. In the South, romance was dramatic and ethically binary: good triumphed over evil without nuance, embodied by stars such as NTR, MGR, Vyjayanthimala, and Jayalalithaa. Today, films like Thiruchitrambalam, with Nithya Menen and Dhanush, allow romance to step aside for personal growth and emotional realism. Parvathy Thiruvothu and Prithviraj Sukumaran have played tragedy queen and king, selfless and tormented by conservatism; not rebels. “Fifteen years ago, love grew in the wild—parks, lakes, behind beach shrubs, in the dim corner seats of cinema halls. A new generation is now Turn to page 2