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New Words

I learned that there is such a word as situationship from this story about the OUP word of the year (also a word I did not know). Having learned of its existence, decided to read a bit more to understand what situationship means. Sounds like, it labels a certain type of relationship that has existed for the longest time. People need a person they can represent as their significant other when the need arises, without needing to be in sober earnest about that individual or the relationship. 

For many it is a way to escape feeling lonely and hopeless about their romantic prospects. They have someone available to fill that spot on-demand, while they explore more durable options. Not a great situation to be in if the goal is a real and meaningful relationship but life is complicated. There are compromise choices that we understand are less than ideal but feel compelled to make anyway. Rent in a big city can be enough to drive a young couple into a situationship. They cannot afford to wait until the right one comes along - they do have a have a roof above their head today and some semblance of a life.

Money is the main factor in both Gen-Z and Millennials' decisions to move in with their partners, coming in at 80 and 76 percent respectively. The percentage significantly drops for the older generations, with finances only factoring into 56 percent of Gen-X and 44 percent of Baby Boomers' decisions

It is quite a luxury for a young person to have the emotional and financial resources to remain single until exactly the right person appears on the scene. The job market for young professionals presents some unique challenges these days. When you combine that with the loneliness epidemic, it is no surprise that many will jump into a situationship to survive until better things happen.

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