Gen Z is obsessed with dating ‘icks’ — but they could ruin future relationships, experts warn

Momma’s boys, wearing no-show socks and practicing golf swings — albeit small, these “ick”-inducing behaviors could secure a one-way ticket to Splitsville.

While single Gen Z women have flocked to TikTok to detail their many “icks” — that is to say, cringe-worthy traits that become an immediate, irreversible turn-off — experts are warning that ending relationships over such small yet bothersome quirks could be sabotaging their pursuit of Mr. Right.

“Icks are hilarious for obvious reasons, but they belong in a comedy show and not in a dating manual, and you shouldn’t reject a potential relationship over a silly moment like this,” Logan Ury, the director of relationship science at Hinge, told USA Today.

Ury, who is also the author of “How to Not Die Alone,” explained that people who tend to be emotionally distant and fear rejection — what therapists call an avoidant attachment style — may cite their date’s icks as an excuse to not date someone, out of fear they will be abandoned or hurt.

Icks, then, become a strategy to sabotage relationships and avoid getting close to another person.

“They often create these reasons to separate themselves from someone,” Ury said, then demonstrating their point-of-view: ” ‘Oh, I don’t want to get close to someone because I actually feel like ultimately I won’t be able to trust them or they’ll abandon me, so let me not get close at all.’ “

While some icks may very well be glaring red flags, Ury cautioned that a “minor detail” could merely be a pet peeve that shouldn’t prompt singles to “hit the eject button.”

“We often think that we know what we want, but we’re wrong, and we eliminate very strong potential candidates for reasons that don’t matter that much,” Ury said.

After all, everyone has their quirks, but something like religious differences could be a true dealbreaker.

“Is this really just a quirk? Is it a pet peeve for me, or is it actually a sensitivity?” social psychologist and author Sara Nasserzadeh told USA Today. “If you cross the line, call it off.”

This year, a survey of singles found that 1 in 5 women would reject a vegan man, while more than half of bachelors would never date someone who rattled off a list of things they didn’t want in a partner, such as height requirements.

Women with septum piercings were also an ick for men in the dating scene, while bachelorettes preferred unfiltered, solo photos of potential matches — snaps featuring hordes of women were a no-go.

“The more filters someone uses on their pictures, the less secure they are with themselves,” said Trista Halland, 32, a single from North Dakota. “If I see more than one filtered photo, they’re out.”