Marital relationships, love affairs, dating – everything has gone through a sea change ever since COVID-19 hit the world in 2020. Old definitions have changed and new trends have emerged.
“2022 has seen many waves when it comes to dating and relationships. If we look back at how the year went and what significant trends it leaves us with, one may notice the massive rise in the trend of ‘non-committal’ relationships. It’s astonishing to see how people are moving towards shorter relationships. We’ve seen more and more people move away from the concept of monogamy and that has been a very important trend,” says Sybil Shiddell, Country Manager India, Gleeden told Hindustan Times.
Situationships
“A situationship is a romantic arrangement that exists before/without a DTR [‘defining the relationship’] conversation,” says Los Angeles-based Saba Harouni Lurie, LMFT. Lurie adds that such a dynamic can be temporary, like after you’ve gone on a few dates with someone, but it’s still too early to discuss relationship status, or it can bethe definition of the relationship, “like if you’re in a city on a short-term assignment and start seeing someone casually.”
Conscious dating
Conscious Dating is about becoming curious, about who you are, what really motivates you, and what your soul most deeply desires. It is a practice, both spiritual and practical, that asks you to dig deep and be vulnerable with yourself and others, but through this work, suffering becomes optional. When we date consciously, we enter into a much different, and kinder, agreement. We agree that it’s okay to be alone. We agree that we’re enough. We agree that suffering is optional. When we move from this place of radical acceptance, we stop hiding. Dating is no longer the seeking of partnership for the sake of not being alone, it becomes a joyful adventure of deeply knowing and loving ourselves and others. Conscious dating is not a game; it is a practice. It is a commitment to serving the good, to self-love, and to acting with mindfulness, according to an article in DailyOm.
“Thanks to dating apps, people can now find their soulmates from the comfort of their homes. The trend of conscious dating to be a big hit among daters this year. According to the app, at least 41% of its users are on the platform to find a genuine and exclusive relationship, and every time they match, they do so to pursue potential partners,” Ravi Mittal, Founder and CEO of QuackQuack told HT.
Ghosting
The dating app Bumble describes ghosting in dating when someone ends all contact without explanation — profile unmatched, messages unanswered, calls avoided. The “friendlier” version of ghosting is called Caspering, named after the beloved cartoon ghost. You’ve been Caspered if you’ve received a rejection message before your match disappears completely, meaning you got some clarity but no conversation. And if you’re not spooked enough, there’s also zombie-ing, which is when a ghost returns from the dead and resumes communication with a passive “hey.”
Dry dating
Dating app Bumble claims that dry dating is the hot new trend of 2022. And no, it does not mean that you have to abstain from sex; instead, you have to refrain from hitting the bottle. So, no more drunken disasters; dry dating is all about being sober, engaged and sparkling with meaningful conversation. The four types of dating couples that were found included the dramatic couple, the conflict-ridden couple, the socially involved couple, and the partner-focused couple,” according to Brian Ogolsky, an Assistant Professor of Human Development and Family Studies.
Roaching
This term actually refers to cockroaches. According to Glamour, the term was coined by AskMen and describes a partner still sleeping around with other people, which generally happens at the beginning of the relationship. “Roaching is a dating term coined that refers to someone that is sleeping around with many,” says Susan Trombetti, matchmaker and CEO of Exclusive Matchmaking. She adds that even if you’re aware of one other sexual partner, you could “realise there are, in fact, many.” “The term comes from the ickiness of seeing one of these nasty little bugs but knowing when you turn the lights on, there are lots of them,” explains Trombetti.
Bread-crumbing
Breadcrumbing is the act of sending out flirtatious, but non-committal social signals (i.e. “breadcrumbs”) in order to lure a romantic partner in without expending much effort. In other words, it’s leading someone on. “Breadcrumbing is a behaviour in which one partner essentially gives the other partner just enough energy, time, attention, affection, or words of affirmation that provide some of the elements of being in a romantic relationship. However, the other partner is left still wanting,” says Dana McNeil, PsyD, a licensed marriage and family therapist and the founder of The Relationship Place. Breadcrumbing is a sign of emotional abuse, since it involves manipulation.
Open Relationships
Monogamy is getting dated and more couples are now moving towards open relationship formats. They believe that being involved with more people helps them add spice to their existing relationships and makes them feel happier and more sexually satisfied, according to Sybil.
Haunting
Haunting follows a breakup, or even ghosting. When a person you cut ties with, or one who ghosted you, strangely comes back to acknowledge your social media presence. It can be discomforting, but the real reason why one is ‘haunting’ another person, may never really be known.
Office Romance
“2022 has seen a particular rise in office romance and has also highlighted a rise in infidelity amongst married couples. Moreover, extra marital dating app, Gleeden has seen a rise in the number of singles signing up on the app because of the high privacy it offers. People who were once married or in a long-term relationship that have now changed their marital status to ‘divorced’, ‘separated’ or ‘single’ and wish to go back to dating without everybody in their circles knowing it,” Sybil told HT.
Love Bombing
Love bombing is a controlling and manipulative tactic most often used by narcissists and abusive people. They seek to quickly obtain affection and attention before tearing their victims down. They may appear charming and exciting in the beginning, but this usually fades away and is replaced with emotional abuse.
