Number of ‘lonely, single’ men is on the rise as women raise dating standards

Men are lonelier than ever as they struggle to meet the higher dating standards of modern women, according to a psychologist.

American psychologist Greg Matos wrote in a recent Psychology Today article that the current state of young and middle-aged men’s love lives shows they need to ‘address a skills deficit’.

He said: ‘I hear recurring dating themes from women between the ages of 25 and 45: They prefer men who are emotionally available, good communicators, and share similar values’.

Yet, he claimed he’s found that modern men’s biggest problem is communication, which is ‘the lifeblood of healthy, long-term love’.

It comes as data shows dating apps are overrun with men – who represent 62 per cent of users – and figures collected in the US in 2019 showed more men than women were single.

‘Over the last 30 years, men have become a larger portion of that growing group of long-term single people,‘ explained the psychologist.

‘And while you don’t actually need to be in a relationship to be happy, men typically are happier and healthier when partnered.’

He also said the overwhelming number of online dating options has led to both men and women becoming ‘increasingly selective’, and competition is fierce.

Single men are statistically less happy, more likely to be unemployed and financially unstable.

Data points to societal changes that have taken place even in just the past few decades which allows lots more women to make informed choices about their relationships.

The truth is that many single people often feel lonely, even if they aren’t lonely all the time.

Adults who are single may feel sadness, grief, regret, and ambivalence about unviable potential mates. In addition, unviable potential partners may become idealized with time and take the place of the anticipated spouse, setting a standard that new and viable potential partners can’t meet. This is why being single is so hard.