Millennials may just have a thing for polyamory

Relationships

Polyamory is a relationship concept that some millennials are embracing—though their level of success with this experiment is still up for debate.

Cultural clues

A fictional take can be seen in the web series Unicornland, which features a newly divorced New Yorker who dates a variety of polyamorous couples—from hipsters to power duos—wherein bittersweet hilarity, self-discovery, and heartbreak ensue (the series is aptly named, as “a unicorn” is a single person who sleeps with couples). The show highlights Hacienda Villa, an inclusive, sex-positive intentional community in Bushwick, Brooklyn that embraces the idea of open relationships and exploration.

So, yeah, polyamorous communities aren’t only on cable or online—they exist, and millennials seem to be jumping in with both feet. YouGov did a study that found only 51 percent of people under age 30 report that their ideal relationship is completely monogamous.

Redefining relationships

Polyamory is certainly not a new concept, and while it cannot yet be categorized as “mainstream,” it’s obviously not exclusively underground. Feeld and 3somer are two of the burgeoning online spaces helping polyamorous millennials (and other generations) find the polyamorous hook-ups they’re seeking (though Tinder has an option for this too—just add a unicorn emoji to your profile to give people the heads-up).

So is the non-monogamous culture in which millennials function a direct result of online dating’s rise in popularity? Or is the belief that humans are not naturally monogamous growing in support? Is this all just going to end up boosting the divorce rate and/or the frequency of starter marriages? The debate rages on, but it seems that a great number of millennials fully embrace the idea that variety is the spice of life, and maybe they’re attempting to be better at relationships by trying different flavors of what a “relationship” can entail.