Gen Z Is Choosing ‘Explorationships’ Over Traditional Relationships

You’ve heard of the dreaded situationship. You might be familiar with the equally despised nanoship. Now, there’s such a thing as an “explorationship.”

You might be wondering: why all these terms? TikTok, coupled with this generation’s dedication to trends and buzzwords, probably. 

In fact, Google searches for “Gen Z slang words” are up 123%, according to data from the first explorationship app, Flure. 

Would You Try an Explorationship Instead of an Actual Relationship?

The term “explorationship” is certainly one of those new slang terms, and it basically refers to a relaxed, go-with-the-flow dynamic between two daters. 

“It’s like dating, but without the stress of defining it upfront,” a representative from Flure explained. “No ‘What are we?’ convos on date three, no pressure to commit, but no forced casualness either.”

Seems pretty on par for Gen Z daters today.

“You just meet, vibe, and see where it goes,” the rep continued. “You let things unfold naturally without slapping on a label too soon.”

Now, one might argue an explorationship is just, well, “normal”  dating—especially in today’s highly non-commital environment. 

I mean, another recent survey by Flure found that 51% of Gen Z respondents find traditional dating to be outdated, with a whopping 42% of Gen Z respondents saying they prefer connections without labels, according to a recent report from YourTango. 

Furthermore, 61% of Gen Z said they’d redefine an already defined relationship to become less restrictive.

So, the idea of an explorationship is probably pretty attractive to a majority of modern daters.

Bearing these stats in mind, the term explorationship seems to emphasize an organic connection built on a laissez-faire attitude. There’s no pressure either way: no pressure to commit, but no pressure to keep it casual, either. As long as there is clear communication on both sides, then the dynamic can certainly be beneficial.

Really, it’s just getting to know someone via exploration, so to speak. Makes sense why they call it an “explorationship.”