Generation Z

• Reasons include accidental overspending (29 per cent), an attempt to impress dates (28 per cent) and seeking intimacy (19 per cent).
• But another survey by Finder also reveals that 44 per cent of Gen Zs consider debt a romantic deal-breaker when considering a partner.
• This highlights potential ties between accumulating dating-related debt and barriers to the chances of success in forming meaningful romantic connections.

‘Costly signalling’

• Accumulating debt for romantic engagements has its roots in an innate human desire — namely, the urge to signal status.
• It argues that humans and animals use resource-intensive or risky behaviours as genuine, hard-to-fake signals indicating their desirable traits and availability.
• While these acts add a layer of individuality to a relationship, they come with the risk of potential financial instability.

Retail marketing

• Retailers often employ strategic marketing tactics to link luxury with love, capitalizing on the emotional connection between these two powerful concepts to entice consumers into purchasing high-end goods.
• They often showcase couples exchanging luxury gifts in opulent settings, fostering an aspirational connection between luxury products and romantic ideals.
• These strategic marketing tactics linking luxury with love contribute to more debt by enticing consumers to overspend on high-end goods with premium price tags.

False sense of connection

• This sheds light on a fascinating discrepancy in self-versus-other evaluations when it comes to luxury consumption.
• Gift-givers often believe that more expensive gifts are more appreciated, assuming they convey greater thoughtfulness.
• But gift recipients don’t necessarily share this belief because they don’t consistently link gift price to their level of appreciation.
• Indeed, many people prioritize their independence and question the giver’s motives behind such gifts, fearing power imbalances and expectations.