Valentine’s Day: The Gender Divide

Men and women view Valentine ’s Day differently. The old cliché is that women place more importance on the holiday, while men see it as more of an obligation, a “woman thing.” Some new research is out that looks at this gender divide in terms of spending.

Rakuten has revealed the results of a new pre-Valentine’s Day survey, in which the online retailer polled consumers over seven markets.

According to the results, American men will spend quite a bit more on Valentine’s Day than American women will. In fact, men plan on spending an average of $104, compared to just $45 by women.

What does this mean?

A cynic would suggest that men are “throwing money at the problem” in an effort to appease women over a holiday whose meaning they don’t really understand. “Hey, wasn’t it started by greeting card companies?”, they ask.

On the other hand, a romantic would say that men value the happiness of the significant people in their lives so much that they want to make the day a special one.

However you feel about the occasion, just try to make the most of your Valentine’s Day. It only comes once a year, and some people will appreciate the effort you make.