Relationships begin and end with our smartphones.
Dating apps have changed the landscape of the modern dating world forever. Some would say romance has died with technology making the dating world a pretty insensitive place. There are new terms to describe the ways you can be poorly treated on today’s dating scene. Want to know what some of the latest dating terminology of 2018 are then have a read here. With so many dating concepts out in the virtual world is often hard to keep up to date, we hope the following dating terms helps you navigate through the mine field of online dating. At least so you know what men and women are doing even if we do not always know the why they are doing it!
Here is our list of the most commonly used dating terminology to help get you up to speed.
Catfishing
The term ‘catfish’ refers to when a person lures someone into a relationship by pretending to be someone else in an online platform. Catfishes often steal photos from strangers’ profiles, and sometimes even create multiple personas to make their stories more believable. In reality they are someone completely different….scary. It is so prevalent a show has been created where they investigate and track down the online person to try and determine if they are real or a cat fish.
Ghosting
Ghosting is unfortunately one of the most familiar dating terms out there in the modern online dating world. It refers to when someone you have been seeing suddenly vanishes without a trace. You could have been dating this person fo a few days, or a few months, but one day they simply disappear no messages nothing. They don’t return your texts, and may even block you to avoid having the ‘break-up’ conversation with you. It is cowardly behavior online however it is unfortunately depressingly common, especially as we have such an excessive amount of dating apps now at our fingertips.
Stashing
Stashing is the latest sneaky dating technique you may have already fallen victim of. It occurs when the person you are dating doesn’t introduce you to their friends or family and doesn’t post about you on social media. Basically, you are their secret boyfriend or girlfriend. While they feel justified in ‘stashing’ you in the corner, pretending nothing is going on to the outside world in the mean time they are keeping their options open.
Zombie-ing
If you have been the victim of ghosting online, the person may one day resurface to your surprise. This reappearance is called zombie-ing. It is often a fair amount of time after they have previously disappeared into thin air, and they often act like nothing happened, like a cocky re-animated corpse. An innocuous ‘hey’ might appear on Facebook or via iMessage, or something similar to tempt you into replying. Thanks to social media, the zombie might also try to get back into your life by following you and liking your posts on Instagram and Twitter.
Benching
Before you have ‘the talk’ with your new boyfriend about whether you are in an exclusive relationship…be aware, you are at risk of being ‘benched.’ Like the sports term, where players are left on the bench as reserves. You might suddenly find yourself being someone’s back-up option as they continue to look around. Sure, they may come back to you if nobody better comes along, but this does not give anyone the high hopes for the future of the relationship? Let it go. If it is meant to be he will come back to you.
Catch and Release
This technique is favored by people who love the thrill of the chase in life. They will put all their effort into flirtatious texts and trying to date you…. that is until they ‘catch’ you. When you finally agree to the date, they immediately lose interest and sadly seek out their next target. This fishing culprit clearly gets something out of it, but for the victim it is just hurtful and confusing and dare I say annoying.
Breadcrumbing
Exactly like Hansel and Gretel, this person is leaving your a trail of breadcrumbs to string you along. When somebody seems to be pursuing you but really they have no intentions of being tied down to in a relationship with you this is the art of ‘Breadcrumbing’. It may be difficult to tell in the early stages of your exchanges or dating, especially if you met online, because you’ll receive a series of texts that suggest they are interested. However, it soon becomes clear that this person has no intention of following through with anything they have said. So frustrating this one.
Cushioning
If you’re ‘cushioning’ someone, it means the person you are dating does not think it is going to end well and can see the end in sight. Instead of just doing the right thing and cutting you loose, they prepare for the break-up by chatting and flirting with several other people beforehand in preparation, to cushion the blow when it does happens. Why they don’t just bite the bullet and initiate the break-up themselves is a mystery do not be this person.
Slow Fade
The ‘slow fade’ is a bit like ghosting, without the full commitment. The other person is not particularly interested in taking things further, but instead of saying so they gradually start to cut ties and fade away. First, they stop being as responsive to texts or calls, then they may cancel plans and be evasive or unwilling to arrange new ones. Eventually, the communication between the two of you fades into nothing without the decency of having a proper mature and respectful conversation.
Cuffing Season
This happens in the winter months where finding a boyfriend or girlfriend is suddenly a lot more appealing. Summer is over, and so are the fun outdoor activities, so a lot more dark cold evenings will be spent inside watching Netflix. It is heaps more fun to do when you have company, as a result, people are more willing to couple up and make compromises about who they invite over in a desperate bid not to be lonely. If this is you enjoy if you are a victim of this also enjoy! As they say better to have lost and loved.
Hope you found these terms helpful as you navigate the online dating world. If you would like to comment or have any others you think we should add we would love to hear from you.