"Lea Veloso, 26, has an ever-growing ick list. If he spits on the ground, can't cook, lies about his height, identifies as apolitical or doesn't travel enough. If he's weird about other men wearing makeup (like, K-pop idols), says he wants a slightly autistic woman, has no skincare routine or only likes songs that got famous on TikTok. It's an ick if he doesn't call his parents, sniffs every five seconds, is an unsuccessful DJ or is embarrassed to do karaoke."
"Between growing up on a steady diet of fan fiction and a never-ending parade of dating content on her feeds, where strangers share the just-because flowers they receive and beloved creator couples post their lengthy breakup announcements on YouTube, Veloso finds it harder to take in the nuance of a person when she's dating them. The noise of who she should be dating is just too strong."
Lea Veloso keeps a long and specific list of behaviors she finds unacceptable in men, from hygiene and hobbies to political identity and sexual expectations. Social feeds and fandom culture have intensified idealized standards, creating a Dream Man blueprint informed by algorithms, viral terms and curated creator content. Many Gen Zers face fewer sexual encounters, more social rejection and growing loneliness as dating habits shift. Constant exposure to performative relationships and curated romantic moments raises expectations and reduces tolerance for nuance, producing disappointment when real partners fail to match idealized molds.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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