Gen-Z Has a Very Different Idea About What Counts as Cheating

Anne Thompson

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Exclusive research commissioned by Newsweek has revealed that adults aged 18 to 24 have a different idea of what counts as cheating in a relationship than what their older counterparts think. In a poll conducted in February 2023 by Redfield & Wilton Strategies for Newsweek, 1,500 U.S. adults 18 and over were asked a series of questions about relationships and cheating. Participants were asked: "In your opinion, does a relationship need to be physical to count as cheating?" The results showed an interesting generational divide. Of all those surveyed, 55 percent of the adults agreed that they would still consider a nonphysical relationship to be cheating in some circumstances. While the majority agreed with this, in the 18-24 age group opinions appeared more laid-back.

Gen Z Relationships — A stock image shows three young people on a bench, with two of them holding hands behind the other. Views on what constitutes cheating in a relationship can vary by age group, a new survey... iStock / Getty Images

Adults aged 18-24 fall into Generation Z, also referred to as "zoomers," who were born between the late 1990s and early 2010s. A generation that has grown up with the internet and portable digital technology from a young age, Gen Zers generally have a lower rate of teenage pregnancies, consume less alcohol and are more concerned with academic performance and career fulfillment, compared with previous generations.

Poll question: In your opinion, does a relationship need to be physical to count as cheating? Age 18-24
Yes: 43%
No: 48% Age 25-34
Yes: 37%
No: 55% Age 35-44
Yes: 35%
No: 59% Age 45-54
Yes: 30%
No: 58% Age 55-64
Yes: 34%
No: 58% Age 65+
Yes: 31%
No: 52%

Of adults in this group, 43 percent said that a relationship had to be physical to constitute cheating, while 48 percent said that they would consider a nonphysical relationship to be cheating in some cases. This gave Gen-Z a 7 percent difference with millennials aged 25-34, where 55 percent said they would still consider a nonphysical relationship to be cheating.

What Is an Emotional Affair?

Cheating in a relationship defined as physical, including kissing or sex, is the most familiar. But emotional cheating is defined as an intimacy that is often deeper and more intense. While a person in a committed relationship may not have crossed a physical boundary considered "cheating," emotional cheating can cause similar upset. For example, when a friend becomes a person's primary confidant or a friendship is kept secret, many would consider this to be an "emotional affair." Relationship experts define an emotional affair as one where someone develops a deep emotional connection with someone other than their partner. But not everyone agreed with Gen-Z. In fact, of the 1,500 adults surveyed, those who said that a relationship did not have to be physical to be cheating increased with age. For example, in Gen X, aged 35-44, 59 percent of participants said that a relationship did not have to be physical to be considered cheating, an 11-point difference when compared with Gen Z. Participants were also asked if they would consider an open relationship, with 66 percent reporting that they would not. Again, though, opinions differed with age. Thirty-five percent of Gen Z respondents said they would consider an open relationship, compared with just 7 percent of adults aged 55 to 64. Has infidelity broken your trust in your partner? Let us know via life@newsweek.com. We can ask experts for advice, and your story could be featured in Newsweek.