Lesbian — something that some straight women would love to be. After all, who wants a boyfriend when some men wash their faces with bar soap? 

     The release of the viral Vogue article “Is Having a Boyfriend Embarrassing Now?” by Chanté Joseph has sparked conversation about a potential “I don’t need a man” movement on the rise, which some students at Shorecrest resonate with.

    “I think men for the past 100 years have been able to be d–kheads and still end up getting girlfriends and wives because of society. And we’re finally in a place where they’re being held to an actual standard, and they actually have to provide something other than just being a man,” said sophomore Anna Skorewicz.

     Pew Research Center stated that in 1993, 83% of 12th-grade girls were interested in marriage, compared to 76% of boys. But in 2023, only 61% of 12th-grade girls were interested in marriage, as opposed to 74% of their male peers — meaning that for girls, there was a 22% drop, while the boys’ number barely changed.

     Some, like US Learning Specialist Jennifer Hart, believe this collective shift might have to do with women being less dependent on men. 

     “[My mom] didn’t need a husband, and at times she didn’t even want a husband [and yet she stayed married]. I think that mindset would have started, at the latest, in the 80s. Women found themselves divorced or found themselves staying in a marriage with cheating husbands,” Hart said. “It’s really hard to leave. There are women who feel stuck financially or emotionally.”

Because a lot of women seem to be gaining a distaste for dating, data shows that friendship is gaining more importance. Based on a survey of 70 Shorecrest Upper School students, 62% of females reported they would rather prioritize a friendship over a romantic relationship, differing from only 40% of males.

     There was also a connection between loneliness rates and the type of relationship each gender chose to prioritize. 16.67% of females in the same survey stated that they rarely feel lonely when focusing on romantic relationships, differing from 55.56% of males. This means Shorecrest boys are over three times more likely to feel less lonely when focusing on romance.

     Many female students believe the difference is due to the emotional connection that women provide. “If it is a true, close-knit friend group where it isn’t as gossip-heavy, and you share your personal feelings and experiences, I think you would get much more sincerity from girls rather than a boyfriend,” said Skorewicz.

     But a lot of male students also build deep friendships with each other.

     “I feel like with guys, once you have a friend group, maybe it’s possible that sometimes you’re not able to share emotions — but I think that if you wanted to, you can, and guys are definitely there for each other,” said junior Yousef Mansour-Barillas. 

     However, several male students who are dating also find a deeper connection with female students.

     “My relationship with her is very important in my life,” said senior Charlie Cowan, who has been dating his girlfriend for over a year. “Because we have been together for so long, I feel that we have a very strong emotional connection, and that I am closer to her emotionally than I am with my friends.”

       Similarly, in a 2025 Substack article titled “Why Men Need Girlfriends More Than Women Need Boyfriends,” author Jordan Stacey wrote, “It is not necessarily that men are lonelier than women, it is that they disproportionately require romance with women to feel seen,” expressing throughout her piece that men need women to feel the same emotional closeness that women feel in female friendships.