Are Young People Really "Moving Away from Kissing"? Insights from a UK Survey and Reactions on Social Media

Two people reluctantly parting at the station. Lovers snuggling on a park bench. A kiss exchanged in the brief moment before the traffic light changes.

When we encounter such scenes, what do we think? Some may find it heartwarming, while others might feel slightly awkward and look away. However, when a smartphone is added to the mix, the situation changes. A passing occurrence can become a video evaluated by countless strangers who don't even know the names of those involved.

On September 14, 2026, the German women's magazine BRIGITTE published an article questioning whether young people have stopped kissing in public. The author reflects on the school and street scenes from their memory and the current landscape, exploring the hesitation to express intimacy openly. [1]

However, it's premature to conclude this topic with "young people today are passive about romance." The frequency of kissing itself, behavior in public, and the anxiety of being filmed are related but distinct issues. Let's start by considering these differences.

What does the figure "35% have decreased" mean?

According to a report by ARISE NEWS, a survey conducted by YouGov on behalf of the oral care brand Waken was carried out online from May 15 to 18, 2026, targeting 2,078 adults in the UK. 35% responded that the frequency of romantic kisses has decreased compared to five years ago. Among those aged 18-24, 32% reported avoiding kisses due to a lack of confidence. [2]

It's important to note that the figure of 35% does not directly translate to "the percentage of people who have stopped kissing in public." While BRIGITTE links it to public kisses, ARISE NEWS's expression refers to romantic kisses in general. [1, 2]

Additionally, self-reports comparing five years ago to the present include changes in the individual's life. People who have started or ended relationships, those whose daily schedules have changed, and those who have different opportunities to meet their partners may respond differently to the same question. These are possibilities to consider when interpreting the responses, not confirmed causes from the current figures.

Since the survey questionnaire and tabulation itself have not been verified, the detailed definitions of the questions and the number of responses from each group cannot be examined. It is necessary to distinguish between using the reported figures as clues and using them as evidence of societal change.

The term "kissing recession" is memorable. However, if we lump together people without partners, those who don't wish to kiss, and those who refrain in public, we miss the crucial differences.

Not kissing in public does not equate to a lack of intimacy

A kiss seen on the street is just a small part of a couple's relationship.

There may be couples who don't hold hands in public but talk a lot at home and cherish each other's feelings. Conversely, even if they appear affectionate in photos, it doesn't necessarily mean their conversations are in sync. Visible expressions of affection cannot measure the quality of the unseen relationship.

This applies to generational comparisons as well. Memories of "seeing more in the past" may be influenced by one's age and range of activities at the time. The people and places one encounters change from when attending school to when commuting for work and shopping.

The interesting aspect of BRIGITTE's article is that it starts from such personal impressions and re-examines intimacy in public spaces. [1] However, as readers, we should also be cautious not to immediately convert these impressions into chronological statistics.

The same caution applies when applying the UK survey to Japan. How much affection is expressed in public involves the location, relationships with those around, and the individual's habits. Based solely on the current data, we cannot say the same changes are occurring among Japanese youth.

An unknown audience intrudes on the couple's moment

The original article also touches on an incident where a private moment spread due to a concert's kiss cam, discussing whether the possibility of being filmed by others affects behavior. [1]

What can be considered here is the distance between "being seen" and "being spread."

If it's the gaze of those present, we can somewhat grasp the other person and the situation. If eye contact is made, we can choose to distance ourselves or move to another location. However, those watching the video online are not present. They receive only a few seconds on screen without knowing the preceding conversation, the couple's consent, or the history of their relationship.

For example, a gesture of turning away awkwardly might be resistance to being filmed. Yet, if the viewer has already decided on a narrative, it may be given a different meaning.

Imagining this uncertainty, it's understandable to want to keep intimate moments away from public view, even without any special circumstances. In addition to how it will be conveyed to the person you like, considering how it might be captured by unrelated individuals increases the need for pre-action confirmations.

However, the extent to which anxiety about being filmed explains the UK survey results is unknown from the current data. What is discussed here is one possible mechanism inferred from the original article, not a causality confirmed by the survey.

Reactions on social media are divided between "stop doing it in public" and "it's wrong to film"

As a related case, in July 2026, a TikTok video of a couple kissing in New York's Central Park became a topic of discussion. According to a report by The Atlantic, in addition to reactions supporting the filmer, there were also comments mocking the appearance and clothing of the people in the video. [3]

Meanwhile, the New York Post introduced voices criticizing the filmer for invading the couple's privacy. The debate intersected between whether public displays of affection are uncomfortable and whether filming and spreading such acts is acceptable. [4]

The reactions introduced here are summaries from reports on related videos. They are not direct comments on BRIGITTE's article, nor do they indicate the overall ratio of opinions on social media. Since the ages of individual posters have not been confirmed, they cannot be treated as "Gen Z reactions."

Nevertheless, this conflict is worth considering.

Feeling resistance to kissing in public and exposing the individuals' faces to a large audience are not the same actions. The impression received by those around may differ between a couple embracing for a long time in a crowded train and a brief touch in a spacious park. Public behavior needs to be considered, including the location and extent.

However, in the comments section of videos, evaluations of individuals often take precedence over such specific conditions. What we can question is how far we intervene in others' lives when we feel "I don't like it."

If you feel uncomfortable, you can look away, and if necessary, distance yourself. There are options to choose responses appropriate to the situation, and having an online audience judge the intimacy of strangers is not the only choice.

The more we seek the "correct kiss," the heavier the first step becomes

The result that some young respondents avoided kissing due to a lack of confidence provides a clue to consider the difference between a lack of interest and an inability to act. [2]

From here on, this is a consideration, but there are many situations in romance where results cannot be guaranteed. Whether the conversation continues, whether the invitation will be accepted, whether the other person feels the same way. Since the other person is someone with their own will, complete prediction is impossible.

The same applies to kissing. The desire to get closer to the other person and the desire not to cause confusion coexist. When the anxiety of self-evaluation, such as "I don't want to be seen as inexperienced" or "I don't want to appear awkward," is added, doing nothing may seem the safest option.

However, simply encouraging people to "be bold like in the past" is not enough. It's important to confirm the other person's intentions, and skipping this confirmation to eliminate anxiety should not be done.

Rather, there should be room for words. If asking "Can I hold your hand?" or "Can I kiss you?" is natural for the couple, then that's fine. If refused, accept it. If there is hesitation, don't rush. Romance doesn't have to be a test of guessing the other person's feelings in one go.

Focusing solely on acting smoothly means that inexperienced people may never participate. Being respected despite awkwardness is an important condition for building intimacy.

Rather than "more kisses," the ability to comfortably choose distance

This discussion is not intended to conclude with a proposal to increase the number of kisses.

Some people like kissing, while others are not fond of it. Some want a partner, while others are content with their current life. If choosing to refrain in public is comfortable for the individual, there's no need for others to feel lonely about it.

What we should be concerned about is the situation where someone wants to get closer but gives up due to fear of being mocked or filmed without consent. Conversely, there are situations where someone feels pressured to kiss because it's expected of a partner, even if they don't really want to. In both cases, external evaluations are prioritized over the individual's wishes.

In that sense, the question about kissing on the street is not just for lovers. It's also a question of how much we make others' gestures the subject of our evaluation when we see them.

Both the couple considering their surroundings and the surroundings leaving the couple's time undisturbed contribute to making public spaces places where people with various comfort levels can coexist.

To determine how much public kissing has actually decreased, data with controlled conditions is necessary. However, there are things we can consider without waiting for that answer.

Are we viewing the person in front of us as material for posting? Are we assuming that people who don't kiss lack affection? Are we leaving room for expressions of intimacy different from our own?

Both scenes with kisses and times without them should be choices available to the individuals involved. Before counting what has disappeared from the streets, let's consider the perspectives that are narrowing those choices.

References

[1] BRIGITTE (September 14, 2026): Author's impressions on public kissing, introduction of UK survey, discussion on anxiety about filming and spreading.
https://www.brigitte.de/liebe/beziehung/neue-studie--warum-kuesst-sich-niemand-mehr-in-der-oeffentlichkeit---14102330.html

[2] ARISE NEWS (June 3, 2026): Article reporting on the YouGov survey commissioned by Waken. Survey period, target number, frequency of romantic kisses, and figures related to young people's confidence. Not the original survey questionnaire.
https://www.arise.tv/britain-experiencing-kissing-recession-new-survey-suggests/

[3] The Atlantic (July 28, 2026): Article reporting on the Central Park kiss video and reactions supporting the filmer and mocking the appearance and clothing of those in the video. Summary of SNS reactions through reports.
https://www.theatlantic.com/family/2026/07/make-out-public-display-affection/688087/

[4] New York Post (July 24, 2026): Article conveying the pros and cons surrounding the same video. Source of voices criticizing the filmer's invasion of privacy. Based on a summary of obtainable search results.
https://nypost.com/2026/07/24/us-news/rumored-lawyers-caught-making-out-in-central-park-goes-viral-and-divides-the-internet/