# Single in Your 20s

> For the in-between: after someone, before someone, or happily neither. What being single in your twenties is actually like.

Single in Your 20s is for people who are single right now, by choice, by circumstance, or still deciding.
We write about breakups, loneliness and leaving, with sources on every page.
Part of the BUMIS network. General information, not therapy.

Publisher: BUMIS (https://getbumis.com). BUMIS: Your Dating Mirror, a private app for seeing your own dating patterns.
Every article lists its sources, author, publish date and last-updated date. General information, not therapy or professional advice.

## Articles

- [Why does a breakup in your 20s feel so lonely?](https://singleinyour20s.com/post-breakup-loneliness/lonely-after-a-breakup-in-your-20s/): A twenties breakup often takes your routine, your social circle and your plans at once, and young adults already report high loneliness. (Post-breakup loneliness, updated 2026-10-01)

## By the numbers

- Half of single U.S. adults are not looking for a relationship or dates right now. Source: Pew Research Center, A profile of single Americans (2020; U.S. adults, 2019 survey): https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2020/08/20/a-profile-of-single-americans/
- 1 in 3 unmarried adults ages 22 to 35 are actively dating. Source: Wheatley Institute and Institute for Family Studies, The Dating Recession (State of Our Unions 2026) (2026; 5,275 unmarried U.S. adults ages 22 to 35): https://wheatley.byu.edu/0000019c-4505-d61f-a3dc-dd478a270001/datingrecession-pdf
- 86% of unmarried adults ages 22 to 35 expect to marry someday. Source: Wheatley Institute and Institute for Family Studies, The Dating Recession (State of Our Unions 2026) (2026; 5,275 unmarried U.S. adults ages 22 to 35): https://wheatley.byu.edu/0000019c-4505-d61f-a3dc-dd478a270001/datingrecession-pdf
- 53% of adults ages 18 to 29 have ever used a dating site or app. Source: Pew Research Center, The who, where and why of online dating in the U.S. (2023; 6,034 U.S. adults, July 2022): https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2023/02/02/the-who-where-and-why-of-online-dating-in-the-u-s/

## Further reading (other publishers)

Hand-picked outside sources we point readers to. Linked, not copied.

- [A profile of single Americans](https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2020/08/20/a-profile-of-single-americans/): Pew Research Center, 2020. Data on who is single, who is looking, and why most singles under 30 are not in a hurry.
- [How to Recover from Romantic Heartbreak](https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-to-recover-from-romantic-heartbreak/): Scientific American. Research-backed steps for getting through heartbreak, including why replaying the good memories slows recovery.
- [How to Know When Breaking Up Is the Healthiest Choice](https://www.gottman.com/blog/know-when-breaking-up-healthiest-choice/): The Gottman Institute. Concrete signs that a relationship has stopped repairing itself, to help you decide whether to stay or go.
- [The Upsides of Being Single (Even on Valentine's Day)](https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/the_upsides_of_being_single_even_on_valentines_day): Greater Good Science Center, UC Berkeley. What research says single people tend to gain, from wider social ties to more room for personal growth.
- [How Loneliness Changes Across Your Lifetime](https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_loneliness_changes_across_your_lifetime): Greater Good Science Center, UC Berkeley. Explains why young adulthood is one of the loneliest stretches of life and what tends to shift it.
- [The science of friendship](https://www.apa.org/monitor/2023/06/cover-story-science-friendship): American Psychological Association (Monitor on Psychology), 2023. A research roundup on why friendships matter so much for well-being and how adults actually make and keep them.
- [The full list, by topic](https://singleinyour20s.com/reading/)

## Tools

- [8-question dating pattern check](https://singleinyour20s.com/quiz/): runs in the browser, stores nothing, returns one of 9 public pattern cards.
- [Full Speed](https://singleinyour20s.com/quiz/full-speed/): You feel it early and you let yourself run with it.
- [Slow Burn](https://singleinyour20s.com/quiz/slow-burn/): You wait until you are sure, and you are rarely sure early.
- [Clear Sky](https://singleinyour20s.com/quiz/clear-sky/): Not knowing where you stand is the hardest part for you.
- [Open Ended](https://singleinyour20s.com/quiz/open-ended/): You are comfortable letting things stay undefined.
- [Home Pull](https://singleinyour20s.com/quiz/home-pull/): You are drawn to a feeling you already know.
- [New Horizon](https://singleinyour20s.com/quiz/new-horizon/): You go looking for something different each time.
- [Long Goodbye](https://singleinyour20s.com/quiz/long-goodbye/): You stay past the point where it stopped working.
- [Clean Break](https://singleinyour20s.com/quiz/clean-break/): When it is over, you are gone.
- [Even Keel](https://singleinyour20s.com/quiz/even-keel/): No single lean stands out in your answers.

## Experts

- Alexandra H. Solomon (Credentialed source): Relational self awareness, dating and building lasting relationships, drawn from her couples work and her Northwestern course. Licensed clinical psychologist; adjunct professor, School of Education and Social Policy, Northwestern University. Profiles: Instagram @dr.alexandra.solomon (https://www.instagram.com/dr.alexandra.solomon/). Last checked 2026-10-01.
- Bella DePaulo (Credentialed source): Research and writing on single life, including people who choose to stay single and live full lives on their own terms. Social psychologist (PhD, Harvard); academic affiliate, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, UC Santa Barbara. Profiles: X @belladepaulo (https://x.com/belladepaulo). Last checked 2026-10-01.
- Marisa G. Franco (Credentialed source): Friendship, loneliness and belonging, and how adults make and keep close friends. Licensed counseling psychologist; PhD in Counseling Psychology, University of Maryland, where she teaches. Profiles: Instagram @drmarisagfranco (https://www.instagram.com/drmarisagfranco/). Last checked 2026-10-01.
- Nedra Glover Tawwab (Credentialed source, Trending voice): Boundaries in relationships, family and friendship, and how to say what you need. Licensed therapist; founder of Kaleidoscope Counseling. Profiles: Instagram @nedratawwab (https://www.instagram.com/nedratawwab/); TikTok @nedratawwab (https://www.tiktok.com/@nedratawwab). Last checked 2026-10-01.
- Blaine Anderson (Trending voice): Dating coach for men who talks about dating app profiles, first dates, and how women experience modern dating. Profiles: Instagram @datingbyblaine (https://www.instagram.com/datingbyblaine/); TikTok @datingbyblaine (https://www.tiktok.com/@datingbyblaine). Last checked 2026-10-01.
- Sabrina Zohar (Trending voice): Dating and relationship coach and podcast host who talks about anxious attachment, self-worth, and breaking repeating relationship patterns. Profiles: Instagram @sabrina.zohar (https://www.instagram.com/sabrina.zohar/); TikTok @sabrina.zohar (https://www.tiktok.com/@sabrina.zohar). Last checked 2026-10-01.
- Shan Boodram (Trending voice): Intimacy educator, author and podcast host who talks about dating, sex, desire, and building close relationships. Profiles: Instagram @shanboodram (https://www.instagram.com/shanboodram/); TikTok @shanboody (https://www.tiktok.com/@shanboody). Last checked 2026-10-01.
- [All experts and how we label them](https://singleinyour20s.com/experts/)

## About

- [All articles, newest first](https://singleinyour20s.com/articles/)
- [About Single in Your 20s](https://singleinyour20s.com/about/)

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