Feeld Raw Reveals a Year of Exploration, Fluidity and Connection

LONDON, December 12, 2024 — Feeld, the dating app for the curious, presents Feeld Raw, unveiling the transformations, desires, identities and connections that shaped Feeld Members’ journeys on the platform this year. Across cities, generations, sexualities and identities, the Feeld community reimagined intimacy and connection, revealing that evolution is at the heart of the human experience.

Dr. Natasha McKeever and Dr. Luke Brunning, Lecturers in Applied Ethics at the University of Leeds, have analyzed how major events have shaped people's self-perception through their connections with others. From the surge in sci-fi interest and LGBTQ+ advocacy to the revival of historical sexual practices, this year's Feeld Raw demonstrates how once-niche cultural elements have moved into the mainstream—bringing us closer to each other and ourselves.

Key Findings

1. We are yearning for a different world, imagining or escaping into a new reality.

   • Sci-Fi is a top interest by yearly growth rate in Berlin (219%), Copenhagen (200%), NYC (735%), LA (250%), San Francisco (340%), Chicago (525%), Portland (755%) and Seattle (405%). It's also the fastest-growing interest amongst bisexuals (904%) this year.

     Dr. Brunning: In a world of rapid political-technological change, with rising inequality, popularist politics, seeping wars, environmental degradation, and corporate enthusiasm for robots or Generative AI, people are turning towards Sci-Fi as a source of hope or to explore possible alternatives.

   • LGBTQ+ Rights is the fastest growing interest amongst Gen Z, increasing by over 240% since the previous year.

     Dr. McKeever: More than three times as many Gen Z identify as LGBTQ+ than Gen X or Boomers, and they are generally more fluid and flexible about the idea of sexuality in general, so it is no surprise that LGBTQ+ Rights would be of significant interest to Gen Z.

2. Century-old sexual practices are having a renaissance—rising to the top of the charts.

   • Gen Z is the brattiest generation, with more Gen Z Members adding Brat (460%) or Brat Tamer (540%) to their profile than any other generation this year.

     
     Dr. Brunning: Charli XCX can claim credit for the rise in younger people embracing brat (with the term achieving rapid social popularity, and being chosen by Collins Dictionary as their word of the year). But the term enables people to express a more widespread desire for autonomy, independence, and the exploration of desire and pleasure.

     
     

   • Celibacy was the fastest-growing desire in London (235%), NYC (433%) and LA (350%) this year.

     
     Dr. Brunning: Celibacy, for a time at least, can be a way for straight people in particular to problematise their relationship to contemporary heterosexual dating culture, but can provide thoughtful respite to any allosexual person in a highly-sexualised society.

   • FFFF was the top desire by yearly growth rate in Amsterdam (200%), Toronto (280%), NYC (166%), Austin (240%), Chicago (330%), LA (250%), San Francisco (150%) and Sydney (470%).

     
     Dr. Brunning: We’re in the midst of a sapphic renaissance, with female sexuality, friendship, and care occupying media attention. It is no surprise, then, that this extends to group sexual exploration amongst women, with female only sex clubs and parties apparently booming in recent years.

3. Gender and sexuality stereotypes are redefined, bringing fluidity to the fore.

   • Androgynosexual was the fastest-growing sexuality, increasing by over 250% since last year.

     Dr. Brunning: We desire what is visible, too, so greater acceptance of non-binary, transgender, and gender non-conforming people may also increase the representation of androgyny, which may shape sexual preferences.

   • Pegging was the fastest-growing desire amongst straight women (67%), although overall more straight men explored this desire than any other group this year.

     
     Dr. McKeever: This is potentially positive news, suggesting attitudes around masculinity, and particularly sex, are shifting, enabling men to be more sexually explorative in ways which have not conformed with traditional ideas of masculinity. It could also be indicative of better communication, openness, and willingness to be vulnerable within relationships.

4. Your zodiac sign and city may be telling of how you connect with others—and yourself.

   • Insights by Zodiac Sign

     • Aquarius are most likely to be looking for kink and threesomes.
     • Taurus is the most desirable sign, receiving more likes and connections than any other sign.
     • Cancer is the most likely sign to be interested in hiking.
     • Leos are the most likely to express casual as a desire.
     • Libra is the most likely sign to be interested in music and movies.
     • Capricorn is the least likely to be looking for dates—or fun.

   • Insights by City

     • Seattle is a hotspot for non-monogamy with one couple for every 3 singles.
     • Miami has the most straight men connecting with each other.
     • London has 5x more singles than couples, making it the highest "single city" population compared to couples.
     • Amsterdam loves monogamy as its fastest-growing desire.
     • Paris has more celibate Members than any other city—making it the most celibate city.
     • Bangalore has the most straight women connecting with each other.

A Shared Journey of Exploration

“Increasingly more people see the world the way we at Feeld have seen it since our founding a decade ago,” shares Ana Kirova, Feeld’s CEO. “This year was marked by major cultural events like Charli XCX going brat or the 4B movement, which have opened more minds to the inherent fluidity of relationships, connection, and identity. Authenticity and honesty in relationships, interest in celibacy, LGBTQIA+ advocacy, personal evolution and just being witnessed as one is have always existed on Feeld. What we’re seeing is a surge in response to these latest cultural events. The question now becomes: what tools do people need to explore these experiences with curiosity and playfulness?”

Notes to the Editor:

About Feeld

Feeld is the dating app for the curious; those open to experiencing people and relationships in new ways. Founded in 2014 by Ana Kirova and Dimo Trifonov after questioning the status quo of their own relationship, they were inspired to challenge cultural scripts around gender, sexuality, and dating on a global scale. Feeld’s ever-evolving platform creates a safer space online and IRL for people to explore their curiosities outside of existing blueprints and find meaningful human connections of all kinds. Feeld has led with a progressive mindset since its inception, pioneering a remote-first work model with a globally distributed team. With over 20 sexuality and gender options in-app and growing, Feeld is a space for the experiences that make us feel alive and most intimately connected to ourselves and others. Learn more at www.feeld.co.

Instagram: @feeldco

About Dr. McKeever and Dr. Brunning

Dr. McKeever's areas of expertise are Philosophy of Love, Philosophy of Sex, Applied Ethics, Ethical Theory. Dr. Brunning also specialises in Philosophy of Love, Sex, and Relationships; Applied Ethics; Ethics; Philosophy of Emotion; and, Moral Psychology. Together, they also co-direct the Centre for Love, Sex and Relationships (CLSR) at the University of Leeds. The CLSR is interested in deepening our understanding of the nature and significance of intimacy, and exploring the ways different relationships might be impacted by technology, social institutions, and the state. Learn more at ahc.leeds.ac.uk.

Instagram: @leeds_clsr