Data suggests nerds may be more likely to be in non-monogamous relationships

A new study by dating app Feeld suggests polyamory may be more common among people with nerdy sorts of hobbies.

Think Dungeons & Dragons or other tabletop games, anime fans and cosplayers, comic book and fantasy readers, or sci-fi fans.

The data, gathered from Feeld users, found that tabletop gamers were 65% more likely to be non-monogamous, whether than be polyamorous or another from of ethical non-monogamy (ENM).

It also found that ENM or polyamorous users were 80% more likely to be video games fans, compared to their monogamous counterparts.

Anime fans and cosplayers were found to be 38% more likely to be non-monogamous than the average Feeld user, comic readers 50% more, and sci-fi fans 83% more.

Of course, just because someone has a nerdy hobby, does not mean that they are non-monogamous.

However, Feeld suggests that the two go hand-in-hand for a variety of reasons.

ENM relationships are not just about spontaneous hook-ups with multiple partners. Instead, those in polyamorous relationships have to manage their time well in order to prioritise everyone involved.

Feeld suggests time management skills also come in handy with tabletop gamers, trying to fit their game nights into their busy schedules.

And, like tabletop games, ENM relationships usually involve a lot of rules. They might be where boundaries are, decisions about intimacy, or even how much other partners know about each other.

Dating expert and D&D player Hunt Ethridge says: “Dungeons & Dragons is all about putting yourself in someone else’s shoes, mainly your own character, who goes on escapades you could never dream of, and understanding a strange world from their perspective.

“It’s about vulnerability, emotional intelligence, group-think, problem solving, and laughing when it all falls to pieces, as it inevitably will.

“All skills that will help you navigate more complex human relations, such as ENM and polyamory.”

D&D involves a number of decisions before the game gets going, in a similar way that ENM relationships might.

42% of Gen Z Feeld users interested in polyamory

Feeld’s State of Dating research found that people who practise relationship anarchy – a non-hierarchical approach to relationships – were more like than others to set boundaries, and put importance on honesty and empathy, as well as awareness.

Relationship anarchy is something other than polyamory or ENM, however they are all examples of non-traditional relationship, each needing discussions and negotiations when it comes to boundaries.

Feeld also found that there has been an increase in the interest in polyamory or ENM connections on the app, particularly among Gen Z users.

On average, 30% of Feeld members listed ENM as an interest, while 53% of Gen Z users did the same. Similarly, 42% of Gen Z Feeld users were interested in polyamory, compared to just 15% of users overall.

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