Abstract

Romantic relationships are central to adult life, yet contemporary social, cultural, and technological transformations have reshaped how individuals navigate intimacy. This study examines how Greek millennials conceptualize short- and long-term romantic relationships, situating partner preferences and relational strategies at the intersection of evolutionary predispositions, cultural scripts, and digital mediation. Using a qualitative design grounded in social constructionism, ten heterosexual Greek millennials aged 27–42 were recruited via convenience and snowball sampling. Semi-structured interviews explored traits prioritized in partners, self-presentation strategies, and the influence of social and digital contexts. Reflexive thematic analysis identified three main themes: (1) Gendered Moral Economies of Long-Term Partnership, (2) Negotiating Social Scripts in a Digitally Mediated and Disillusioned Context, and (3) Conditional Commitment and the Stratification of Intimacy. The findings indicate that while some partner preferences align with Sexual Strategies Theory, they are heavily mediated by patriarchal norms, digital performativity, personal experiences of trauma, and age-related reflexivity. Short-term relationships were valued for pleasure and autonomy yet morally differentiated from long-term commitments. Overall, the study highlights the dynamic, contextually embedded, and reflexively constructed nature of contemporary romantic strategies among Greek millennials, offering insights for evolutionary, sociocultural, and digital perspectives on intimacy.

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