It looks like somewhere along the way, “husband material” stopped meaning someone you’d build a life with and started meaning “he texts back within 24 hours and doesn’t make you cry at 9am on a Tuesday.” In 2025, holding the door open and remembering your first and last name is apparently a green flag — not because it’s impressive, but because the dating pool has collectively lowered the bar to ankle height. We’re out here giving standing ovations for basic human decency, like he just solved world hunger when really… he just put his phone, screen down, during dinner.
(Pinterest . (n.d.). https://au.pinterest.com/pin/97671885661681033/)
Between the proliferation of dating apps and the TikTok-ification of romance advice, it’s official, ‘husband material’ got watered down into ‘not actively ruining my day’. We scroll mindlessly on social media, watching videos of women gushing over men who can make a sandwich for themselves , texting you good morning hours well into the day or actually listening to you talk about anything. This isn’t love, it isn’t romance, it’s customer service with a side of emotional damage waiting to take effect. In all honesty, if the standard for being husband material is ‘”He doesn’t lie, cheat, or shout at me”, then a functional smart fridge with Wi-Fi would technically qualify for marriage in this generation.
The problem with today’s generation is that we have now been trained to expect too little as we lose sight of what romance truly means. We have collectively developed a new dating dictionary, changing the meanings and discourse of romantic relationships in 2025. Situationships might be the most ridiculous concept ever created by mankind. Is consistency and commitment to one person really impossible? You label me as ‘Your Girl’ but you’re not my boyfriend? Mild commitment with a PR filter…
(Yarn. (n.d.). https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/d87b7e55-4af0-4a59-aa6a-742dbbece281)
And before anyone starts with the “but men have it hard too” counterpoint — sure, modern dating is rough for everyone. But women are not out here going viral for “wifey material” because they remembered to water their partner’s houseplant. We don’t hand out trophies for doing the laundry once or listening without checking our Instagram feed. The double standard is so loud, and it’s thriving in the comments section of every “he’s a keeper” TikTok.
So here’s my hot take: let’s retire “husband material” as a phrase unless it means what it originally intends to. When the man in question is doing something genuinely relationship-worthy — like showing emotional intelligence, long-term commitment, and the ability to handle life’s chaos without vanishing with ‘The Boys’. Let’s set the bar high enough that “bare minimum” no longer counts as the winning lottery ticket. Because if 2025 is the year we’re still handing out green flags for texting back in under 4 hours, we might as well just marry the guy who remembered to bring a bottle of water with him to the gym. At least he’s thinking about the future.
Girl to girl advice, just get a pet cat.
Kathrynf 
Alexander Hanjin De Filippo 
Eabha Quinn
Hi Annisa,
I liked your article. It reminds me of how they say there is a rise of the ‘male loneliness epidemic’ and I think you hit the nail on the head with the fact that often time they are doing the bare minimum and expecting results and when they are not, they are saying there is an epidemic rather than looking inward and realising cause and effect – do the bare minimum = no relationship.
However, I won’t take your advice and get a cat. I’m more of a dog person.
Facts. Well written and so funny, I couldn’t stop laughing. I agree on everything!
Gag it! A “husband material” man is just an average woman.