Gen Z and Millennials believe common interests are not essential in a relationship
Spending time with your significant other is precious, even more so when you’re doing something you both love, together. However, new research reveals the huge difference between singletons of particular ages regarding whether having a common interest with a partner is essential.
The survey revealed that for 71% of single Britons over 50, having shared interests is the most important thing when dating. In contrast, the majority (80%) of singles between the ages of 18 to 49 think that having a shared interest is "nice to have" rather than essential in a partner.
It appears that having common interests with a partner becomes more important as we get older, as 72% of Britons over 50 said they didn’t prioritise this factor when they were younger.
According to Ourtime, the dating app for over 50s that carried out the survey, older singletons are less preoccupied with life factors like building up a career or bringing up a young family, with 25% saying they have more leisure time to dedicate to interests and hobbies.
Being able to pursue their hobbies means this demographic is more likely to want to share them with a significant other, and vice versa. Over 50% of over-50 singles say they want to find someone with their own passions to encourage them to embrace new things, with nearly three-quarters (72%) saying dating has helped them discover new interests.
Commenting on the findings, dating expert Kate Taylor said: "The secret of lasting love isn’t so much about gazing into each other’s eyes, but finding someone you can enjoy spending time with.
"That’s why it’s important to find a partner with interests and passions that you both share. Spending time together develops a closer bond and gives you lots to talk about, which is the foundation to building a strong and long-lasting relationship."
Priorities are different among younger singles. According to recent data by Tinder, which examines dating trends in its annual Year in Swipe report, spending quality time with one is a top love style for daters, followed by touch, thoughtful gestures, compliments and presents from one another.
The report - which surveyed 4,000 18 to 25-year-olds and analysed Tinder bios on the popular dating app - also revealed that when it comes to dates, young people enjoy going to raves and live music gigs, followed by long walks and pub quizzes.
Taylor explains to Yahoo UK that having common hobbies isn’t so important for younger singles because there’s less time to pursue them - so other factors take priority.
"When we’re younger, we tend to focus much more on the physical aspect of a relationship, with things like common interests falling to the wayside,” she says.
"Not only this, but younger singles tend to have a very busy social life, and less time to dedicate to their hobbies and passions. And whether they’re starting a family, focusing on their career, or simply enjoying their youth, these often take priority over their hobbies."
She adds that younger singles are also more likely to pursue their interests with friends compared to partners. This is because romantic relationships "can still be quite transient at this point".
"But when we’ve had kids or retired, or perhaps our friends are all coupled up, our social circles naturally become smaller," Taylor says. "At this stage in life, singles not only find themselves with more time on their hands, but start to realise the importance of having common interests with their partner in order to build a strong and long-lasting partnership."
Read more about sex and relationships:
Dating over 50? Cooking a great roast and having own teeth among signs you're a catch (Yahoo Life UK, 3-min read)
Midlife dating tips as viewers praise My Mum Your Dad: 'Truly heartwarming' (Yahoo Life UK, 3-min read)
'I want to explore': Carol Vorderman on embracing a 'freer' way of dating in her 60s (Yahoo Life UK, 2-min read)
