In 2026, will the great gender divide widen or begin to close? This trend has been particularly noticeable among Gen Z, with women’s political views shifting further to the left, while men’s views become more conservative. It is visible in religion, too, with more young men demonstrating interest in traditional forms of religious practice than young women for perhaps the first time in history.

As King’s College London research shows, the divide is even greater when it comes to statements such as “feminism has done more harm than good”.

One in six young men agrees that feminism has done more harm than good, compared with one in 11 young women. Young men are more adamant about this than men aged 60-plus.

This gender divide has led to predictable consequences in areas such as dating and long-term relationships. As a Financial Times headline put it last year, the relationship recession is going global. Rising rates of single people are being observed in the US, Finland, South Korea, Turkey, Tunisia and Thailand.

Young women are embracing being “boy sober”, a term popularised by TikToker Hope Woodward, which advocates deleting dating apps, avoiding “situationships” and trying to live a life........

© The Irish Times