Gen-Z Least Likely to Tell a Friend They Know Their Partner Is Cheating

An exclusive poll conducted for Newsweek has revealed that members of Generation Z are the least likely to tell a friend or family member if they knew their partner was cheating on them.

In a poll conducted in February 2023 by Redfield & Wilton Strategies for Newsweek, 1,500 U.S. adults aged 18 and over were asked a series of questions about relationships and cheating.

One-fifth of Americans admit cheating on their partners, but when asked: "Would you tell a family member or friend if you knew their partner was cheating on them?" opinions differed.

While 73 percent of adults aged 45-54—Gen X—said that they would tell their friend or family member if they knew their partner was cheating, only 67 percent of millennials, aged 25-34, said that they would spill the beans.

The least likely to share the truth were those in Gen Z, aged 18-24, with just 64 percent reporting that they would tell if they knew someone's partner was cheating.

When it comes to discovering that your partner is cheating, the usual ways people find out are by going through their messages or finding receipts for things like hotels or dinner dates.

Reasons for cheating vary, but relationship counselor James Earl previously told Newsweek that affairs are incredibly common and said: "Many of your friends will likely have gone through the experience—even if they don't talk about it. And despite stereotypes, in my experience, men and women are equally as likely to cheat."

The answers differed when the tables were turned, too. When asked "Would you like to be told if a family member or friend knew your partner was cheating?" 65 percent of Gen Z said yes.

Meanwhile 78 percent of millennials said they would want to know, compared to 67 percent who would tell their friend. Of those aged 45-54, 80 percent said that they would want to know if their partner was cheating on them.

As part of the same poll, participants were also asked: "In your opinion, does a relationship need to be physical to count as cheating?"

While 55 percent of U.S. adults said that a relationship didn't need to be physical to be cheating, Gen-Z were most likely to think that a non-physical relationship could be excused.

Compared to just 30 percent of people aged 45-54, 43 percent of Gen-Z said that a relationship had to be physical to be considered cheating.

Has infidelity broken your trust in your partner? Let us know via life@newsweek.com. We can ask experts for advice, and your story could be featured on Newsweek.