Americans are falling out of love with Valentine's Day

Paul HiebertData Journalist
February 08, 2017, 6:35 PM GMT+0

A new survey from YouGov shows that US adults are more likely to consider the day overrated than romantic

Too much of a good thing often turns bad. Consider chocolate cake: the first slice tastes great; the fifth, less so. The same principle applies to water: a little bit helps the crops grow; too much results in a flood.

The latest data from YouGov suggests that a similar phenomenon might be affecting the public's attitude toward Valentine's Day — a day meant to celebrate love, one of the very best things out there.

Perhaps due to all the promotions, sales, and merchandise associated with the special day, 48% of US adults describe Valentine's Day as "overrated," compared to 43% who describe it as "romantic." Overall, married people and single people are more likely to consider Valentine's Day "overrated" than "romantic," while people in a current relationship stand apart as the only group to pick "romantic" at a higher rate than "overrated."

Additional numbers show that 19% of Americans describe Valentine's Day as "cheesy," 14% say it's "disappointing," and 13% consider it "tacky."

When asked how likely or unlikely they were to go on a date this Valentine's Day, the majority of US adults indicated that they had no plans for a romantic night out on the town. In this instance, over half of married people, single people, and people in a current relationship said they were unlikely to go on a date to celebrate the day.

Among those likely to go on a date this Valentine's Day, 43% said they'll have sex when they return home. At the same time, 38% said they'll go to sleep, and 27% said they'll watch Netflix with their partner. Only 4% admitted that they intend to watch Netflix alone.

But not all is bleak for the nation's day devoted to love. At 47%, young adults aged 18-34 are the most likely age group to describe Valentine's Day as "romantic." At 38%, they're also the least likely age demographic to consider it "overrated."

Meanwhile, a quarter of single people aged 18-34 said they'd be willing to give up social media for a month if it meant having someone to go on a date with this Valentine's Day.

Full survey results available here