The single struggle is real—sometimes, it's about not even knowing if you want a relationship after all.
This was one woman's dilemma in a viral TikTok clip posted by Bri (@itwillbriokay). In it, she embodied the two opposing viewpoints in "battle" in her mind: wanting a boyfriend and feeling happy being single. Since Bri's video was posted on April 1, it has received over 2.5 million views, in excess of 342,000 likes and more than 650 comments from empathizing viewers.
@itwillbriokay daily battle w myself #dating #relatable #trend #single
♬ son original - Eyemazy France 👀
"Daily battle with myself," Bri captioned the video, which shows her swapping between two fighting stances with opposing beliefs written above them. "I'm ready for love," the caption reads as Bri punches the air. "I'm working on loving myself first," she responds to herself. Finally, "attention" comes in with a kick and knocks out the rest of the competition.
Viewers in the comments related deeply, sharing their relationship woes and the extent to which they fluctuate between being in moods for love or solitude.
"Literally me depending of what time of the month it is," @entoutecirconstances posted. "I can go from lover girl to absolute menace to all men."
"No label equals no problem," @llamadrama105 wrote.
"Hardest part is I still miss my ex, so I can't commit to someone else, but I love," @tia_boo99 commented.
"Me fighting my inner demons," @novalunaah wrote, to which Bri replied, "Demons are winning."
More People Are Single Than You Might Think
Based on a 2022 survey conducted by Pew Research Center, around 30 percent of U.S. adults reported being single—meaning unmarried, not living with a partner nor in a committed relationship.
What's more is that many of these single people, echoing Bri, are not interested in a relationship, either.
Over half the survey respondents—57 percent—said they were "not currently looking for a relationship or casual dates." On the contrary, 22 percent said they were indeed looking for a romantic relationship or casual dates.
Interest in casual dates especially seems to be declining on the whole, according to the research: the percentage of men who reported interest in casual dates dropped from 61 percent in 2019 to 50 percent in 2022. However, men are still generally more interested in casual dating than women. The survey said that women were more interested in "only" committed romantic relationships than men, and that more men reported looking for "only" casual dates.
Bri's video certainly held up a mirror to the single experience on TikTok—and, as research shows, the two fighters battling it out about relationship status seem to have a hold on a sizable amount of the American population.
Newsweek reached out to @itwillbriokay for comment via TikTok.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
