Survey: Dating Under the Influence—Is Mercury Retrograde Causing the Confusion?
They say love is written in the stars. But what if Mercury is scribbling over the story? About four times a year, the planet appears to move backwards in the sky. Although it’s an optical illusion, many astrologers claim the effects of Mercury retrograde feel real.
As the planet of communication, tech and travel, a Mercury retrograde affects all things in these areas of life, from power outages and slow Wi-Fi to delayed transport and miscommunications. The next retrograde period coming up will last from July 17 to August 11, in the sign of Leo. Astrologers expect it to bring some relationship tension and worries in the dating scene.
But what effects does Mercury retrograde have on Americans’ love lives? Hily asked 2,100 Gen Z and Millennial Americans to share their thoughts.
Some questions focused on dating patterns during specific time frames—without revealing those dates lined up with Mercury retrograde. The goal was to find out whether young Americans report more miscommunication, delays or shifts in their love life during retrograde, even without the insight that outer space might be involved.
Key Findings
- Around 4 in 10 young American women and 1 in 5 men believe Mercury retrograde negatively affects their love life.
- During retrograde, 45% of young American women and 55% of men noticed more ghosting on dating apps.
- Of those surveyed, 30% of young American women and 19% of men reported that an ex reached out during a recent retrograde cycle.
- When Mercury was retrograde, 31% of young American women and 17% of men said they had more bad dates.
Who’s Noticing Signs of Mercury Retrograde Among Young Americans?
Not everyone checks the astrological calendar before texting their crush, but the numbers show that Mercury retrograde still lives rent-free in some people’s heads. When asked about its impact on their personal lives, 40% of young American women believe that Mercury retrograde can have a negative effect on their dating lives. For men, the number was lower, at 20%.
Millennials were more likely to say Mercury had had a bad effect on their relationships—47% of Millennial women and 23% of Millennial men said they experienced a negative effect of the Mercury retrograde on their dating lives.
Gen Z men were the least convinced, with 24% saying they don’t believe that Mercury retrograde has a negative impact on their love life. Overall, more women than men said they feel the influence of this personal planet when it comes to dating.
Regardless of whether Mercury retrograde can cause problems, the real question is whether young Americans are willing to stick with someone who doesn’t believe in it.
Some people prefer partners who are aware of Mercury’s influence, but many are open to dating someone who doesn’t buy into the whole retrograde thing. Around 53% of both young American women and men said they’d still be open to seeing someone who doesn’t think Mercury retrograde has any influence on life at all.
Mercury Retrograde Doesn’t Make Relationships Any Easier
Mercury is the fastest-moving planet in our solar system. According to astrologists, it brings a unique flow of energy that can cause confusion (especially regarding emotions), fear of saying the wrong thing or the feeling that communication just isn’t flowing.
Mercury retrograde is often seen as a better time to pause, reflect and pay attention to what’s really going on—in the universe and in your love life. Among those surveyed, 31% of young American women and 18% of men said they felt more cautious about starting new relationships during mercury retrograde.
But how far does that caution go? Instead of jumping into something uncertain, some people surveyed seem to wait for the stars to align—literally.
When asked if they try to avoid starting new relationships during a retrograde cycle, 20% of women and 12% of men shared that they hold off entirely during this period.
Retrograde could be a great time to use as an opportunity to stop and listen to yourself. However, only 14% of women and 12% of men said they would stop using apps and meeting potential relationship partners.
Most people don’t cancel their plans for romance because Mercury’s influence isn’t a problem for them—40% of young American women and 43% of men would keep dating even if they knew Mercury appeared to be moving backwards through the sky.
Could a DatingApp Solve the Retrograde Struggle?
Would it be useful if dating apps gave a heads-up before Mercury starts moving backwards? It turns out that 31% of American women and 17% of men are actually down with the idea of a mercury retrograde reminder feature in their app updates.
Picture it: fewer misunderstandings, less frustration, and maybe a bit more patience all around. A missed message here, an unexpected text from the past there—a little retrograde alert could change the whole vibe of the situation. When plans fall through or communication stalls, some daters say they’d appreciate a kind reminder: “It’s just the effects of Mercury retrograde.”
Mercury Retrograde Relationships Patterns
We picked three recent time periods (August 4–27, November 25–December 15, and March 14–April 6) and asked Gen Z and Millennial Americans how things felt then.
No context was given—just a look back at how their chats and matches went during those times. As you might have guessed, all three periods had something in common: Mercury retrograde.
Matters get tough when communication fails. During Mercury retrograde, it’s not unusual for some to feel stuck decoding that emoji at the end of a text like it holds a hidden message. Is it flirty? Friendly? A brush-off?
There’s also another type of retrograde effect: the classic scheduling snafu, like showing up on Thursday when it was totally a Friday thing. Either way, Mercury retrograde seems to make it tough for people to tell what’s really going on. Of those surveyed, 60% of young American women and 49% of men experienced more miscommunications or misunderstandings than usual during this time.
Everything was going great, and then all of a sudden, the replies from that special person just stopped. No messages, no explanation—just silence. Is it another one of those classic retrograde stories or just bad timing?
This period seems to be a time when more people just drop off the radar. During Mercury retrograde, 55% of young American men and 45% of women experienced more ghosting on dating apps.
Glitches, Delays and Doubts
A little DM check. A quick scroll. And … “404 Not Found”? When it comes to Mercury retrograde, some young Americans said that their dating apps had more technical issues.
According to astrology, Mercury’s retrograde energy can create challenges in social relationships. It seems that might also include texting and apps people use to communicate, since 38% of young American women and 44% of men report running into more tech glitches than usual when Mercury is in retrograde.
Not every first date story turns into a great time. Sometimes the energy feels off, the convo stalls or the spark just isn’t there.
During retrograde, 38% of young American women and 33% of men said they had more bad dates than usual. Their love stories didn’t go as planned, almost like the universe had its own ideas about where things should lead.
Does Mercury Bring Back Old Flames?
People often blame Mercury retrograde for stirring up the past, and this stat backs it up: 30% of women and 19% of men said an ex reached out during the planet’s last three retrograde periods.
It could be nostalgia, unfinished business, or just spotting a familiar name in the DMs. But when Mercury seems to go backwards, its retrograde vibes have a way of bringing the Then into the Now.
Conclusion
Mercury retrograde is a time when many young Americans find it harder to find harmony in their love lives. Whether it’s seen as a personal planet problem or just a meme, a lot of people feel affected by this phase, from sudden anomalies like ghosting to a random ‘hey’ from an ex in their direct messages out of the blue.
While most aren’t hitting pause on dating entirely, plenty are proceeding with caution when Mercury is in retrograde. It could be due to tech glitches, miscommunication or just weird energy, but some use this time to slow down and reflect.
The next retrograde cycle starts July 17—and this time, it’s happening in Leo. Astrologers expect it to bring some relationship tension and worries that affect the dating mood.
Retrograde may not be the one writing the story, but it does appear to alter the atmosphere. Knowing the patterns of this recurring period can help people keep communication more direct, avoid misunderstandings and leave room for quality time.