Some people may have even started putting this interest into practice. Dating app OK Cupid names open relationships Top dating trends in 2024In 2024, OK Cupid saw a two percent increase in the number of users who said they would consider an open relationship.
As a reminder, an open relationship is one in which one or both partners are free to explore other romantic or sexual encounters under the couple’s own personal guidelines. A poly relationship is one in which people have multiple committed romantic partners.
Experts didn’t necessarily see it coming. “I’m pleasantly surprised,” says Tara SuvinyattichaipornPhD, a tenured professor of relational communication at California State University, Fullerton, and dating coach based in Los Angeles. Suvinyattichaiporn says that whenever she posts on topics related to non-monogamy, she receives a lot of negative comments from her 2.2 million followers. tiktok And Instagram,
However, this may be where Google is being particularly revealing. Perhaps Americans feel more comfortable publicly exploring their curiosities online. Suvinyattichaiporn has also noticed an increase in curiosity behind closed doors in her relationship coaching. “People won’t say it on social media, but then they’ll say it in a private session.”
Year of open relationships?
So why has 2024 been a breakout year for open relationship interest? Suvinyattichaiporn says pop culture may have something to do with it. She points towards the much talked about film ChallengersIncluding a threesome and a love triangle, which raises the profile of non-monogamy. Bravo also launched a reality TV series called couple to groupIn which the process of couples opening up their relationships to a third person is depicted. Celebrities in non-monogamous relationshipsLike Will Smith And Jada Pinkett SmithHave become more vocal in recent years. And open relationships have become a hot topic booktokA whole category of women with multiple lovers has emerged with questionable names “Reverse Harem.”
Even the 2024 Paris Olympics got involved. A scene of what appears to be three people at the inauguration ceremony There’s gonna be a ménage-a-trois,
Suvinyattichaiporn believes the COVID-19 pandemic played a role in sparking people’s curiosity. couples are spending So much time together during the stressful quarantine They were made to re-evaluate their overall satisfaction. “People have a new understanding of life and (the desire) to do what makes them happy,” says Suvinyattichaiporn. “Now, a few years after COVID, people are just like, Hey, maybe this (monogamy) isn’t what I want, and maybe I’m curious to look at something else.”
Overall, Suvinyattichaiporn says she’s glad people are finding out about open relationships because there are a lot of misconceptions about the arrangement – which partly explains the stigma.
“I think that’s why people are so afraid, because they get such conflicting information, and it creates uncertainty,” says Suwinyattichaiporn. “It’s just another type of relationship, and it works for some and doesn’t work for others, just like monogamy.”
She also hopes that people embrace their curiosity, but take the online accounts found on forums like Reddit with a grain of salt. Just because it worked or didn’t work for one person doesn’t mean the same for you.
“You only live once,” says Suvinyattichaiporn. Googling an idea will only get you so far. “If you are dissatisfied, unfulfilled, or unhappy with traditional types of relationships, you can only learn by trying.”
