Gen Z's fascination with pre-internet romance reflects longing for analog dating culture
Source: Elle Purnell. "Why Gen Z Girls Are Obsessed With CBK's 90s 'Love Story'." March 16, 2026. thefederalist.com
The Gist
Young women are obsessed with a TV show about JFK Jr.'s romance because it shows a time when dating required real effort and face-to-face interaction. The author argues this nostalgia reveals that today's digital dating culture has made romance too easy and impersonal, leaving young people longing for the days when you had to actually show up and try.
Conclusion
Gen Z's obsession with the JFK Jr./Carolyn Bessette Kennedy romance story reveals their homesickness for pre-internet dating culture where lack of digital convenience created incentives for genuine romantic effort
Premises
- Gen Z women are captivated by FX's 'Love Story' about JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, driving it to streaming records and fashion trend adoption
- The show depicts 1990s romance filled with in-person interactions that would be easily resolved by technology today (showing up at offices, communicating through flowers, meeting at parties)
- Modern Gen Z dating is characterized by digital isolation: 6+ hours daily on phones, more time at home, and 74% of women reporting minimal dating activity despite wanting to date
- Contemporary solutions like algorithmic matchmaking services (Date Drop) highlight how young people 'struggle with striking conversations in general'
- The pre-internet world created natural incentives for romantic effort through inconvenience - requiring face-to-face interaction, physical gestures, and in-person social activities
Assumptions
- Pre-internet dating culture was inherently superior to current digital dating practices
- Inconvenience and effort in romantic pursuit leads to better relationships
- Gen Z's media consumption choices reflect genuine desires for different social arrangements
- The romanticized portrayal in 'Love Story' accurately represents 1990s dating culture
- Digital convenience has caused rather than merely correlated with dating difficulties