New MyIQ survey data suggests young adults are increasingly treating independence not as a pause between relationships, but as a deliberate response to dating fatigue, economic pressure, and emotional burnout.
A growing number of young adults are stepping back from dating and long-term relationships in favour of independence, self-development, and emotional stability, according to new global survey data from MyIQ, reflecting the rise of the online Solo Maxxing movement across younger generations.
Popularised across TikTok, Reddit, and other social platforms, Solo Maxxing refers to a lifestyle trend centred on maximising life outside romantic partnership. For many younger adults, the appeal is not isolation, but control: more time, fewer emotional demands, greater financial focus, and a sense of personal peace that modern dating often fails to provide.
The findings, based on responses from 14,380 adults across the United States, United Kingdom, Latin America, the European Union, Australia, and South Africa, suggest that younger adults increasingly associate relationships with emotional stress, instability, and personal compromise rather than automatic fulfilment.
Among respondents aged 18 to 34, 48% said being single feels “more peaceful” than being in a relationship, while 42% said relationships often interfere with personal goals, financial stability, or self-development. Another 37% described modern dating as emotionally exhausting, citing emotional inconsistency, dating app fatigue, and the pressure to remain constantly available online.
Across all surveyed markets, 33% of respondents aged 18 to 34 said they are actively avoiding dating in order to protect their mental well-being, while 29% said they feel more emotionally secure alone than with a romantic partner. The pattern points less to a rejection of intimacy than to a recalibration of what younger adults are willing to tolerate in pursuit of it.
In Latin America, younger respondents reported some of the strongest support for independent lifestyles, with 54% saying they increasingly prioritise personal peace and autonomy over relationships. Comparable figures reached 49% in the United States, 46% in Australia, 44% in the European Union, 43% in South Africa, and 41% in the United Kingdom.
Sarah Meyer, Managing Director at MyIQ, said the findings show a shift in how younger adults define emotional security.
“Solo Maxxing is not simply about choosing to be single,” Meyer said. “It reflects a broader reassessment of emotional cost. Many younger adults are no longer treating relationships as proof of stability. They are asking whether a relationship adds to their sense of safety, focus, and self-understanding, or whether it introduces instability they have worked hard to escape.”
The survey suggests that economic pressure and emotional burnout are contributing significantly to the trend. Among respondents aged 18 to 34, 51% said independence has become more important to them over the past three years, while 26% said they no longer view long-term relationships as essential to happiness.
A 28-year-old respondent from the United States described relationships as emotionally disruptive, saying that being alone felt calmer, more predictable, and less stressful after years of anxiety in romantic relationships. A 31-year-old respondent from South Africa described independence in more practical terms, saying that focusing on oneself made it easier to build a life without continually managing another person’s expectations.
The findings also point to growing scepticism toward modern dating culture itself. 46% of younger respondents said dating apps have made relationships feel more disposable, while 39% said social media has increased unrealistic expectations around romance, appearance, and emotional availability.
That scepticism does not appear to translate into a complete withdrawal from connection. Many respondents described independence as a form of emotional self-preservation rather than permanent isolation. In that sense, Solo Maxxing sits at the intersection of several pressures shaping early adulthood: economic uncertainty, digital exhaustion, self-optimisation culture, and a declining willingness to accept emotional instability as the price of partnership.
Meyer said the trend reflects a change in the way younger adults assess compatibility, not only with partners but with the life structures relationships can create.
“The traditional assumption that fulfilment should centre on romantic partnership is weakening,” Meyer said. “For many younger adults, emotional peace, autonomy and personal development are becoming measures of adulthood in their own right. The relationship is no longer the default destination. It has to prove that it belongs in the life someone is building.”
While the survey does not predict long-term relationship outcomes, MyIQ said the findings reflect an emerging cultural shift in how younger generations evaluate intimacy, independence, and emotional investment. Solo Maxxing gives a name to that shift, but the underlying pattern is broader: single life is increasingly being framed not as a temporary absence of romance, but as a deliberate structure for protecting attention, stability, and selfhood.
About MyIQ:
MyIQ was launched in 2024 and is used by over a million individuals worldwide. It is a digital self-knowledge platform that offers more than an IQ score, with over 9 million completed tests across the various test categories, cognitive, personality, and relationships, all with personalised, actionable insights. The platform offers over 25 brain games, more than 150 intelligence puzzles, over 20 hours of expert video content, and 300+ available lessons on emotional intelligence, problem-solving, innovation, confidence-building, and decision-making. Through its IQ test, full-spectrum personality assessment, and relationship insight quiz, MyIQ delivers structured, personalized feedback that helps individuals better understand their inner world and behaviour.
MyIQ was launched in 2024 and is used by over a million individuals worldwide. It is a digital self-knowledge platform that offers more than an IQ score, with over 9 million completed tests across the various test categories, cognitive, personality, and relationships, all with personalised, actionable insights. The platform offers over 25 brain games, more than 150 intelligence puzzles, over 20 hours of expert video content, and 300+ available lessons on emotional intelligence, problem-solving, innovation, confidence-building, and decision-making. Through its IQ test, full-spectrum personality assessment, and relationship insight quiz, MyIQ delivers structured, personalized feedback that helps individuals better understand their inner world and behaviour.