Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X & Boomers Have Completely Different Ideas Of What Makes Someone A Cheater
fizkes | ShutterstockYou would think that cheating would be the exact same thing for boomers and Gen Z, but relationships themselves barely look the same between generations.
While the general idea is the same, cultural and technological shifts have changed the love game a whole lot. Cheating isn't just being physical with someone who isn't your partner, although blessedly that still qualifies. Unless, of course, you've already agreed that it doesn't.
The generations all have different ideas of what constitutes cheating because communication has changed for each group.
Regardless of age, everyone can probably agree that a cheater is someone who isn’t loyal to their partner. What’s interesting is how the ways someone can do that have expanded with time. It’s almost like advancements in technology have led to advancements in cheating as well.
Boomers think a cheater is someone who has a classic affair.
A lot of the stereotypical ways we think about society come from baby boomers. A spouse quite literally sneaking around might be overdone in movies, but it’s not that far off from this generation’s reality.
BananaStock from Photo Images via Canva
Boomers have pretty traditional views of marriage and family, and most of them got married when they were still relatively young. They entered into this commitment early, but they weren’t naive about how significant it was.
To them, a cheater is someone who breaks the vows they made. It’s a partner who has a relationship with someone else outside their marriage or serious relationship. People in this cohort would get suspicious if they felt like anyone was too close or flirty with someone of the opposite gender who wasn’t their partner. For a traditional generation, it's a traditional view of adultery.
Gen X has struggled with figuring out what relationships mean to them, which has affected the way they view cheaters.
To say Gen X has been through a lot of upheaval would be a bit of an understatement. Their childhoods were marked by social and political changes, as well as a need for them to become almost completely self-sufficient at a young age.
simonapilollatnf via Canva
When they were older, Gen X was encouraged to follow the example of a traditional relationship that they were used to seeing from their elders. But with more women joining the workforce and technology becoming a big part of their lives, they couldn’t just stick to the status quo.
Gen X certainly considers anyone who has an affair to be a cheater. However, the ways they had to adapt to make their relationships work in a changing environment meant that some were willing to consider the pros and cons of an open marriage. They aren’t quite as strict and unforgiving as boomers.
Millennials meet their partners differently, meaning they also have different boundaries for loyalty and cheating.
This generation was the first to have access to dating apps pretty much from the time they started dating, and a lot of millennial couples have said they met this way. Unfortunately, what might have made finding a partner a bit easier for them is also the thing that’s leading some of them to cheat.
Budgeron Bach from Pexels via Canva
For millennials, cheating is no longer just about the traditional idea of an affair. They also think it counts as cheating when someone continues to use dating apps while in a committed relationship. Even if they aren’t using the apps to meet people in person, the fact that they’re browsing is enough to bother their partners.
Millennials are also very aware of how social media could be used in a similar way. The biggest concern for them might be their partners reconnecting with exes this way, which became a strange phenomenon a few years ago. They feel like they have to keep an eye on the new ways someone could cheat, too.
Gen Z is also wary of how people could use technology to cheat.
True physical affairs have never stopped, but Gen Z cheaters use the internet in ways that previous generations couldn’t have imagined. It’s not uncommon for young people to get involved in online relationships, which can easily cross a line without anyone meeting in person.
Jovanmandic from Getty Images Pro via Canva
Now that AI is such a huge part of life, Gen Z takes this into account when thinking about someone being a cheater. AI chatbots that are specifically designed for companionship are becoming more popular. Even though AI isn’t a real person, some people still feel like this is a relationship violation that counts as cheating.
Gen Z doesn’t necessarily have a different idea of what constitutes cheating. The difference for them is there are so many new tools cheaters can use. Only time will tell whether more Gen Zers actually cheat because of this, though.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer with a bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism who covers news, psychology, lifestyle, and human interest topics.
