Yet, for the majority, the allure of extra speed is too strong. The internet has collapsed the distance; the city has collapsed the waiting period. Azeri relationships are now operating at the speed of a fiber-optic cable. "Extra speed Azeri relationships and social topics" is a defining characteristic of 21st-century Azerbaijan. It is a landscape of high risk and high reward. For the young woman in Sumgait who wants a modern career but also a traditional husband, speed is the only way to fit everything into an impossible schedule. For the young man in Baku, speed is the only way to compete in a dating market crowded with influencers and high expectations.
What does "extra speed" mean in the context of Azerbaijani society? It refers to the compression of time. Where once families took months to vet a potential spouse, today’s youth are meeting, matching, and marrying (or breaking up) in a matter of weeks. This velocity is reshaping the social fabric of the South Caucasus, creating unique pressures, opportunities, and conflicts between the older generation’s adab (etiquette) and the younger generation’s desire for sürət (speed). To understand "extra speed relationships," one must look at the macro-forces acting on Azerbaijani society.
Before moving from chat to a secret meeting, take 48 hours of no texting. This breaks the false intimacy created by "extra speed" messaging.
Baku is a city that never sleeps—and also never waits. With rent prices soaring and the cost of a traditional toy (wedding) inflating every year, young professionals feel immense pressure to settle down quickly so they can combine resources. The "extra speed" is often a survival tactic: find a partner fast, move in together (even if secretly, due to social taboos), and skip the long engagement periods of the 1990s.