The 'Solo-Maxxing' Trend Embraces Being Single
High dating costs and dating app fatigue may be contributing.
Updated May 31, 2026 | Reviewed by Tyler Woods
The term "maxxing" is being used on social media , well, to the max. You've got terms like " fibermaxxing ", " looksmaxxing ", and even " climaxxing " encouraging everyone to maximize something—hence the suffix "maxxing." Well, now "solo-maxxing" is trending, especially among Gen Zers and Millennials. And there's more than a single reason why.
Solo-maxxing is about choosing to be single. It reframes singlehood as something desirable rather than an oh-I'm-sorry-that-you-can't-find-anyone-yet holding pattern. Posts on TikTok, Instagram, and other social media platforms tag "solo-maxxing" to tout the benefits of not only being single but staying single.
The emergence of solo-maxxing is coinciding with an apparent rise in singlehood. A 2025 Pew Research Center survey found 86% of adults 18 to 24 years of age, and 42% of those 25 to 39 years of age were single. Compare this to what Pew found in 1990 when only 29% of those in the 25-to-54 age range were single..
Solo-Maxxing Can Save Money
They say that size doesn't matter in dating. But one of the touted benefits of solo-maxxing is potentially a bigger bank account from saving money. I've recently covered in "A Funny Bone to Pick" the problem of " date-flation ," including rising transportation, meal, entertainment, and even condom costs due to inflation. This probably isn't going to get a rise out of someone just struggling to make ends meet—let along someone struggling to meet someone else.
Solo-Maxxing Can Bring More Peace
Another touted benefit is peace of mind. Note how often daters use phrases like "don't like drama" in their bios. Well, guess what many people bring to their dates? And a bad romantic relationship can be much, much more disruptive to your life than no romantic relationship at all. In a recent MyIQ survey of 14,380 adults spanning the U.S., Latin America, Europe, Australia, and parts of Africa, close to half of the 18-to-34-year-old respondents indicated that being single felt more peaceful than being in a relationship.
Solo-Maxxing Can Allow You To Develop Other Parts Of Your Life
Along with peace of mind comes more time and energy to better assemble the various pieces of your life such as your friendships, career , financial stability, and muscles. Developing such things can be a lot tougher to do when your life is unnecessarily complicated by someone else. Recall what that Quinn character played by Harrison Ford told someone he wanted to get romantically involved with in the 1998 movie Six Days Seven Nights: "I decided my life is too simple, I wanna complicate the hell out of it." Incidentally, Ford also played Han Solo in the Star Wars franchise,
Solo-Maxxing Can Help You Become More Independent
Speaking of which, a fourth benefit of solo-maxxing is that it can bring forth more strength and independence—the epitome of Ford's Solo character. It's being the opposite of those who seemingly always have to have a partner, jumping from one relationship to another. Being single helps you learn to do things yourself, potentially making you more capable. After all, the trash won't take itself out, and your bank account won't balance itself.
The stereotype is that marriage is a mark of stability. But that's not necessarily the case, especially with the divorce rate hovering around 50 percent. Coupled people can be a whole lot less stable than single ones since stability is more about what you have within than what you are with currently.
Solo-Maxxing Allows You To Avoid Dating Apps
Then there's the touted benefit of being able to stay off those oh-so-wonderful dating apps. I've written about how dating app fatigue has been a growing problem and how the apps can be time-consuming and soul-crushing experiences. In fact, 46 percent of the MyIQ survey respondents indicated that dating apps have made relationships feel more disposable.
Moreover, dating apps can favor certain kinds of people over others like those with nicer profile pics, of certain demographics, and better at selling themselves. Oh and did I mention those with great profile pics? That leaves others battling stereotypes and preferring more authentic and organic engagement. Dating app companies are recognizing these concerns and have been trying to alter their apps accordingly. But dating apps are certainly not for everyone.
The Risks of Solo-Maxxing
Of course, solo-maxxing is also not for everyone, as is the case with any trend. It's not good if deep down you are feeling very lonely , disconnected, and depressed but are trying to publicly put a positive face to it. Not that that's ever happened on social media before, right? Solo-maxxing can potentially be a crutch to keep you from addressing issues such as avoidant behavior, where you don't want to deal with the natural ups and downs of any relationship. It can be your way of avoiding conflict and getting hurt.
Solo-maxxing can become especially problematic when it becomes more about avoiding people and any relationships in general. You can only learn so much by yourself. Immersing yourself in only yourself could give you a false sense of security where your perspectives about yourself and everything else are not being questioned or challenged. Regularly exposing yourself to a greater diversity of thought, opinion, background, experience, and actions can help you grow.
So if you are doing the whole being-intentional-and-deliberate-about-being-single thing, be intentional and deliberate about figuring out why. What are your motivations? If it is to help yourself grow and improve, then great. Just make sure that you have other means to connect with other people along the way. If, instead, it is due to some kind of fear , then you may want to work on overcoming that fear.
Ultimately, this solo-maxxing trend could be great if it helps everyone put more thought into dating and relationships. Sure, having a great relationship and partnership can be a lot easier than being single. But being in a bad or even a so-so relationship can be a lot worse than being single.
Humans are, by nature, social animals. And life is not a solo act. But it may not hurt to be a little Han Solo about it at times.
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Bruce Y. Lee, M.D., M.B.A., is a writer, journalist, professor, systems modeler, computational and digital health expert, physician, avocado-eater, and entrepreneur, not always in that order.
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This article is part of the Bringwise Psychology Journal — daily insights on human behavior, mental health, and personal growth.