The paradox of today's awakened people is that, on the one hand, they claim to despise labels, but on the other hand, they methodically define every single phenomenon or behaviour in their lives, be it their work surroundings, sexuality, relationships, etc. With this in mind, Mishi Sood and Tania Sondhi, co-founders of a matchmaking website, released a dating dictionary for 2022:
- Bread Crumbing:This is a timeless classic. The derivation derives from Hansel and Gretel, a children's story in which they leave a trail of breadcrumbs to help them find their way out of the woods. It's the age-old practice of sending out signals of interest without actually intending to commit. Also referred to as 'leading someone on'. A breadcrumber would often send infrequent and brief signals, or digital morsels, such as short texts or Instagram likes, that indicate that they like you but are unlikely to pursue a relationship.
- Love Bombing:People desire a spouse that lavishes them with compliments, treats them as the centre of their existence and looks after them. Love bombing is an extreme variation of this behaviour. A normal love bomber would try to win someone over by lavishing attention, gifts and affection on them. These are not genuine gestures, but rather a manipulative ploy used by narcissistic and abusive people to acquire control and make others unhealthily dependent on them.
- Situationship: This is a casual or ambiguous romantic or sexual relationship. You, my friend, are in a situationship if you don't talk about the future, don't meet their friends, don't go out on any genuine dates, or if your entire relationship, if you can call it that, is built on convenience.
- Ghosting: This one is well-known and affects those who use dating apps. It's abruptly terminating all contact and conversation with someone you're dating. Poof! They vanish like a phantom. They don't return phone calls, text messages, or social media pings.
- Submarining:It's equivalent to being resurrected. Submarining occurs when someone returns after ghosting and acts as if nothing happened. They act as if you'll be right where they left you emotionally when they return, and they try to worm their way back into your life. Also known as zombieing or paper clipping.
- Orbiting:Another type of breadcrumbing, except this time it's more subtle and occurs after you've been in a relationship. They partially ghost you but engage with your social media content, making it tough for you to move on.
- Benching: This is an all-too-common occurrence in the matchmaking scenario, and it can be rather devastating. It's the habit of putting a potential mate on hold or (on the bench) in the event that nothing else works out.