A word is spreading among young people online: solo-maxxing. It describes staying single on purpose and putting the time and the money into yourself instead of into dating. Fortune traced it in May 2026, and a global survey by the analytics firm MyIQ gives it ground: close to half of 18 to 34-year-olds say being single feels more peaceful than being in a relationship, and a third are stepping back from dating to protect their mental health.
Part of it is arithmetic. The all-in cost of an American date — dinner, drinks, transport and grooming beforehand — has reached 189 dollars, up 12.5 percent in a year, and Gen Z now spends 205 dollars a date. Forty-two percent say a relationship can get in the way of their ambitions, their finances and their own development. What used to be read as being left over is being given a name as something chosen.
So…:
How can you speak to the customer who has chosen themselves on purpose?
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