Chivalry isn\u2019t dead \u2014 you just have to filter for it.<\/p>\n
Match Group\u2019s dating app Upward is leaning into old-school courtship with a new \u201cChivalry Mode,\u201d aimed at singles who would rather have a man make the first move than waste time wondering why their matches never message.<\/p>\n
And apparently, there\u2019s an audience.<\/p>\n
New data shows that younger generations are fatigued by dating apps. Home-stock \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n
Despite years of data showing that marriage rates are declining and young people are getting married later, Match Group\u2019s 2026 research found that 72% of Gen Z singles say they want to get married.<\/p>\n
Upward says its own users are even more marriage-minded<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cNearly all members ages 18-30 want a family and children, and family is the number one value on Upward,\u201d a Match Group representative told The Post.<\/p>\n \u201cAt the same time, we are seeing a broader shift among younger singles looking for courtship, commitment, and relationships built for marriage.\u201d<\/p>\n According to the company, the relaunch adds three features aimed at making intentions clearer: Chivalry Mode, which encourages the man to message first when both users opt in; Marriage Timeline, which lets singles share when they hope to wed; and Core Values, which highlights the priorities they want a partner to share.<\/p>\n Modern courtship includes a \u201cChivalry Mode\u201d which encourages the man to message first. Upward<\/p>\n The relaunch lands as traditional relationship dynamics are seeing a decidedly online resurgence among young women, with terms like \u201cfeminine energy\u201d and \u201cprovider men\u201d entering the discourse as a crop of tradwife influencers<\/a> showcase domestic routines, early marriages, and stay-at-home lifestyles.<\/p>\n On social media, heavily curated accounts like Nara Smith glamorize homemaking \u2014 cooking decadent meals from scratch in a ball gown and tending to 4 small children \u2014 as an appealing alternative to Gen Z\u2019s current milestones:<\/a> joblessness, dating burnout and living with your parents.<\/p>\n But dating experts say the popularity of something called \u201cChivalry Mode\u201d doesn\u2019t necessarily mean Gen Z women suddenly want to return to 1950s gender roles.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t read this as Gen Z suddenly becoming \u2018traditional,\u2019\u201d Susan Trombetti, matchmaker and CEO of Exclusive Matchmaking, told The Post. \u201cI read it as a generation that may be craving more intentionality in dating while still wanting to define what that looks like for themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n One of the newest features on Upward allows singles to be honest and open about their marriage timeline from the start. Upward<\/p>\n In other words, wanting a guy to text first doesn\u2019t necessarily mean quitting your job<\/a> and baking sourdough.<\/p>\n Trombetti said there is nothing wrong with a woman saying, \u201cI want a man who pursues me,\u201d as long as both people are aligned in that dynamic.<\/p>\n \u201cThe important part is that \u2018traditional\u2019 should be a mutual choice, not an expectation,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Adam Cohen-Aslatei, CEO of matchmaking company Three Day Rule, sees a similar appetite among the women his company works with.<\/p>\n \u201cWe work with so many accomplished women who make decisions all day long at work,\u201d he told The Post. \u201cFor some of them, having a guy make the first move feels refreshing.\u201d<\/p>\n Upward is betting that leveraging traditional values to its audience will bring more luck in love. Jade Maas\/peopleimages.com \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n The bigger problem, he said, may not be that younger singles have abandoned relationships<\/a> \u2014 but that they are exhausted by the process of finding one.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s so much ambiguity about intentions on the apps,\u201d Cohen-Aslatei said, noting that many young people are perfectly comfortable saying they want marriage even if they aren\u2019t ready to walk down the aisle tomorrow.<\/p>\n