Abstract

This qualitative study explored how Generation Z university students constructed meanings of love and romantic relationships within contemporary social, cultural, and digital contexts. Guided by Sternberg’s Triangular Theory of Love and social constructionism, the study examined how intimacy, passion, and commitment were understood, negotiated, and enacted in everyday relational experiences. Using a narrative research design, data were gathered from 28 Gen-Z students aged 18–24 enrolled in different colleges and universities in Bulacan, Philippines, through a structured essay questionnaire. Participants’ written narratives were analyzed thematically using Braun and Clarke’s six-step framework, with deductive coding informed by the two guiding theories. Findings revealed that participants largely rejected idealized notions of love such as “love at first sight” and rigid destiny beliefs, instead framing love as a gradual, intentional, and experience-based process. Intimacy emerged as the most valued component of love, characterized by emotional safety, trust, and mutual understanding. Passion was acknowledged as an initial catalyst but was viewed as unstable if unaccompanied by intimacy and commitment. Commitment was frequently delayed or redefined, emphasizing everyday responsibility, effort, and ethical conduct rather than formal milestones alone. Participants’ constructions of love were strongly shaped by Filipino cultural values, religious beliefs, family expectations, and digital media narratives, reflecting love as a socially constructed and morally negotiated experience. Love was also perceived as developmentally consequential, capable of fostering personal growth when balanced, or emotional decline when boundaries and self-respect were compromised. Overall, the study demonstrated that Gen-Z students conceptualized love not as a fixed ideal but as a dynamic relational practice situated at the intersection of personal agency, cultural tradition, and digital realities.

Keywords

  • Generation Z
  • Romantic Relationships
  • Sternberg’s Triangular Theory of Love
  • Social Constructionism
  • Filipino Youth

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