【双语精读】千禧一代为何偏爱“线上恋爱”?趋势与心理解读

Long-distance relationships once felt like something people accepted because circumstances left them no choice. Partners stayed apart because they had to, often managing their bonds through late-night phone calls, costly plane tickets, and the occasional sext to preserve a sense of closeness. Today, however, many millennials prefer a different arrangement: they accept, or even actively choose, relationships that remain online.

过去，异地恋常常被视为一种被动接受的状态，因为环境或情况让人别无选择。伴侣被迫分隔两地，通常通过深夜电话、昂贵的机票以及偶尔的挑逗性短信来维系亲密感。然而，如今许多千禧一代更倾向于另一种安排：他们接受，甚至主动选择，维持在网上的关系。

New data from Dating.com supports this shift. The site published a Millennial Intimacy Report based on a survey of 2,000 millennials, and the findings underscore a notable change in attachment patterns. The report found that 55% are open to a long-distance relationship that never becomes in-person. Seven percent said they actively prefer that kind of relationship. Another 37% said they would consider a fully online relationship, and 8% said they prefer it. Additionally, 32% reported that in-person interaction can feel draining. Taken together, these numbers illuminate why some people now use the label "telesexual."

来自Dating.com 的最新数据支持了这种转变。该网站发布了一份基于对2000名千禧一代调查的《千禧一代亲密度报告》，调查结果强调了依恋模式的显著变化。报告发现，55%的人愿意接受永远不会线下见面的异地恋。7%的人表示他们主动偏好这种关系。另有37%的人表示会考虑完全线上关系，8%的人表示偏好它。此外，有32%的人报告称线下面对面互动会让人感到精疲力竭。综合来看，这些数字解释了为什么有些人现在会使用“telesexual”（远程性爱者/远程情感倾向者）这一标签。

Dating.com coined the term "telesexual" to describe people who build romantic and sexual connections online first. The word may sound unfamiliar at first, but it resonates with millennial behavior. Many millennials spend much of their adult lives online: they work there, argue there, flirt there, and shop there. For a generation accustomed to conducting so much of life digitally, the migration of romance into the same space was almost inevitable.

Dating.com 创造了“telesexual”这个词，用来描述那些先在网上建立浪漫和性关系的人。这个词乍听可能不熟悉，但它与千禧一代的行为很契合。许多千禧一代把成年生活的大部分时间都花在线上：他们在那里工作、争论、调情、购物。对于习惯将生活许多方面数字化的一代人来说，浪漫迁移到同一空间几乎是不可避免的。

The report also offers insight into why this change has taken hold. Dating.com expert Jaime Bronstein pointed to widespread experiences of "chronic burnout, overwhelm, packed schedules, and shrinking social circles" among millennials. Those pressures make online relationships easier to sustain. After a long workday, the prospect of going out, dressing up, commuting, and making small talk can feel like taking on a second job, while an online exchange can offer connection with less exertion.

报告还解释了这一变化为何会流行。Dating.com 专家 Jaime Bronstein 指出，千禧一代普遍经历“慢性倦怠、压力过载、日程紧凑和社交圈缩小”。这些压力使得线上关系更容易维系。经过漫长的工作日后，外出、打扮、通勤和寒暄的前景可能让人感觉像是在做第二份工作，而线上交流则能以较少的付出提供连结感。

The survey highlights emotional differences as well. Sixty-five percent of millennials said it is easier to open up to someone online than to a partner in person. People still crave intimacy and connection, but many prefer fewer logistical hurdles and less emotional strain; they value the ability to step back and even mute a conversation when they need space.

该调查还突出了情感方面的差异。65% 的千禧一代表示，与面对面的伴侣相比，他们更容易向线上对象敞开心扉。人们仍渴望亲密和连接，但许多人更喜欢更少的后勤障碍和较小的情感负担；他们重视在需要空间时可以后退甚至静音对话的能力。

This trend does not suggest that millennials have stopped valuing love. They continue to seek relationships, but increasingly they use digital tools both to find them and to sustain them. Some observers view the phenomenon as sad or dystopian, while others see it as a practical adaptation—especially for those juggling tight schedules. In many ways, then, romance has simply entered a remote-work era.

这一趋势并不意味着千禧一代不再重视爱情。他们仍然在寻找关系，但越来越多地使用数字工具来寻找并维系关系。一些观察家将这种现象视为悲哀或反乌托邦的表现，而另一些人则认为这是务实的适应——尤其对于那些在紧凑日程中周旋的人来说。因此，在许多方面，浪漫只是进入了一个远程工作的时代。