Relationships

Have single women cracked the happiness code?

What’s going on: Society has done a phenomenal job of convincing us that a woman cannot possibly be happy unless she is in love. Enter: The Cat Lady. However, a new study challenges that idea. Researchers from the University of Toronto found that single women are happier with their relationship status and sexual satisfaction, and have less desire to find a partner than single men. (What, like it’s hard?) The study suggests that women may have less to gain in heterosexual relationships. Plus, who wants to fight over the distribution of all that unpaid housework? Women also have more financial freedom than ever before, which means they have less need for a man (or his credit card). Researchers also theorized that women tend to have stronger social relationships than men.

What it means: In recent years, women have redefined what it means to be single. Previous generations placed a lot of emphasis on getting married, having children and chasing a white picket fence dream. Today, women across the board are prioritizing themselves (because self-care is the best form of care). In fact, more and more women are choosing to go”boy waiter” or become celibate. Some have said that online dating has ruined their chances of finding love by emphasizing physical intimacy over emotional ones. Regardless, many women have reported finding more peace in their lives. You like to see it.

Related: Bumble’s CEO says artificial intelligence is the future of dating, but not everyone agrees (NBC)