Help me, Gen Z out there!

Problem/Goal: I need advice on how to help my Gen Z brother (17 years old) “break up” with someone he’s in a situationship with. He feels stuck because he doesn’t want to hurt the girl or be seen as a red flag.

Context: My brother is in Grade 12 and has been in a situationship with a schoolmate for four months. He’s always the one initiating conversations, and if he doesn’t text her, she doesn’t reach out either. He’s losing interest but doesn’t know how to end it without hurting her feelings.

As a millennial, I’m struggling to give advice that resonates with him. I told him to be honest and say something like:

“It’s not you, it’s me. I need to focus on my studies and future right now.”

“I have big dreams, and I need to focus on them. Unfortunately, I don’t see you as part of those plans right now.”

Or wait for two weeks without texting, and if she asks why, explain that he doesn’t want to keep initiating conversations that feel one-sided.

He’s worried this might make him look bad or hurt the girl because she’s smart and ambitious.

Previous Attempts: The advice I gave feels too millennial for him. He laughed and said it’s a bit “red flag” to stop texting without explaining. I need tips from Gen Z or others on how to approach this in a way that feels genuine and aligns with his generation’s style of communication.