For a generation constantly accused of killing traditions, Gen Z hasn’t actually cancelled Valentine’s Day. If anything, we’ve just remixed it. The once rigid, couple-centric holiday has been stretched, twisted and reimagined into something broader, more inclusive, and honestly a lot more reflective of how we live.
This is the same generation that drags Valentine’s Day every year for being overpriced, performative and emotionally exhausting, and yet somehow spends significant sums on it. A 2025 Consumer Affairs survey found that Gen Z plans to spend an average of $235 (£172) on Valentine’s Day, more than any other generation. It’s peak Gen Z behaviour to complain loudly, participate anyway, and post about it with a self-aware caption.
All of this plays out in a dating culture where more Gen Zs are choosing celibacy which means they are actively opting out of dating and sex. Meanwhile, those still dating increasingly describe apps as exhausting rather than romantic.
Instead of throwing the whole holiday in the bin, Gen Z and millennials have simply expanded the guest list. We have now created Galentine’s, and Palentine’s, because friendship dinners and group hangouts are now just as valid as candlelit dates. Valentine’s Day isn’t just for couples anymore; it’s for friends, flatmates, your favourite seminar partner, or even yourself. Emotional inclusivity is kind of our thing.
For students, this flexibility is also a matter of survival. Heo Seowon, a third year student, summed it up perfectly: “Valentine’s Day is not that important… us students don’t have enough money.” When your bank account is already fighting for its life, the idea of dropping £20 on themed chocolate feels like a personal attack.
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But that doesn’t mean Gen Z has sworn off love entirely. Kaydy George, a Media and Communications student, still sees value in the day: “I can see why it feels outdated because of casual relationships and situationships,” but she still believes in the sentiment behind it, being in a long-term relationship herself. For her, “deeper connections are still important, and Valentine’s Day should be about celebrating love.”
What has changed is the performance of it all. Valentine’s has completely transformed into a serious brand-management operation and has become entirely about social media for some. Couples are creating an aesthetic, not just going out to eat. Dates are all about the ideal caption, restaurant, and flowers. Are you even dating if your partner doesn’t post about you? Does the gift count if it can’t be shared on Instagram?
Others argue that love shouldn’t be boxed into a single date at all. Maryann Achigbue believes the whole concept is restrictive.
“There doesn’t need to be a specific day to appreciate someone… it should be an everyday thing,” she says. She’s not wrong – Gen Z wants consistency, not a once-a-year performance review.
The issue with the holiday is that Gen Z wants what Valentine’s can’t give us: clarity, consistency, and a love life that doesn’t involve reading between the lines. So, it was simply incompatible with a generation that is self-aware, chronically online, and still unsure of the real meaning of “we’re just seeing where things go.”
Gen Z hasn’t rejected romance; we’ve just refused to let it come in one shape or one meaning.
