Love has gone missing. It is all about material pleasures! The dating trends have evolved tremendously in this digital era. You now have access to connect with people from different corners of the world, thanks to state-of-the-art dating apps. However, the landscape of modern romance has changed to such an extent that it has become imperative to learn the dating lexicon. The complexities of love, connection, and heartbreak have become even more perplexing. The journey through 2024 for the millennials and Gen Z in the dating field doesn’t seem easy if you aren’t familiar with the popular dating terminology.
This blog aims to familiarize you with the latest love trends and terms used among youngsters. It is a comprehensive guide to dating fashion in the year 2024. If you were among those who wanted to get a clear picture of what the dating terms mean, then go ahead and read the post.
Let’s explore and dissect the intricacies of popular dating terminology in 2024.
1. Benching: Keeping the options open
In simple terms, it means to have a backup plan in place. You would have two or three boyfriends in your life, but there won’t be any commitment from your end. You may like all three, but you wish to have a beautiful romantic experience with all three simultaneously.
Benching is a new dating trend among Gen Z that gives you an opportunity to reflect on the vagueness and good points in each relationship. Also, you may not be necessarily dating all three at one time. But you won’t even commit to any of them. The idea is to explore how it makes you feel when you date these guys.
Looks like love has taken a backseat in today’s relationship goals. One can say that gone are the days when loyalty and commitment were the foundation of strong bonds.
2. Breadcrumbing: Thriving on the mixed signals- Another popular dating terminology
Simply put, playing with emotions. There is no commitment, no proposal, no connection. The other person is left hanging onto the hope that someday you may express your feelings of love. Whereas, you only enjoy flirting with that person and share some intermittent messages just to show that you like their company.
This trend works when you know that the person you are chatting with may have some feelings for you. But currently, you may be dating someone and hence are unsure if you wish to go ahead with the new one. Hence, you only enjoy the attention you get from breadcrumbing. It draws a thin line of hope that someday you may want to get into a relationship with this person.
You just make the person dwell on the idea that you will hit it off in the coming months or years. Whereas, in reality, you are only fascinated with the attention you get and are sure it won’t materialize into a genuine commitment.
3. Orbiting: Observing online but not connecting on a personal level
Guys often follow this trend where they get connected with a girl on social media but do not establish direct contact. They like their posts and drop cute comments, but never DM them. It is a trend that helps them learn the girl’s behavioral pattern and her likes and dislikes.
The guys come to know where the girl usually hangs out, which are her most visited places. Who she parties with most often, and what she likes to do in her spare time. Simply put, it is a trend of collecting information by observing someone online but never talking to them directly. To me, it is a complex digital connection where you are almost unsure whether you wish to establish a personal connection or simply wait to strike the right chord to drop a message.
4. Ghosting: Disappearing without notification
You just disconnect with the person without informing them. It is an act of vanishing without giving any hint as to why you disconnected the ties all of a sudden—no proper explanation, no calls, no messages, just disappearing from the digital front.
It is quite disheartening for the person who is been ghosted. You never know that person was genuinely in love with you but you got scared and vanished without informing. Don’t you think it is unfair? But it is the latest dating terminology so you must get familiar with it. Just a suggestion, do not practice it on anyone. Ghosting hurts!
5. Zombieing: The ghost reappears- A silly but popular dating terminology
So, zombieing follows ghosting. It means the person who vanished from your life reappears from nowhere to haunt you again. Initially, they ghosted you without proper notification and now they return with lame excuses.
The most common excuse is that you made them feel uncomfortable because of your true feelings. They were not sure of commitment. But now that they have returned, they are sure of getting into a relationship with you again. However, the decision rests in your court whether to revive the relationship or continue being separate ways.
Remember, someone who left you without informing once can ghost you again. Why take such a risky chance? Better seek love elsewhere. Ghosts and zombies can’t be genuine lovers!
6. Astrolove: Seeking cosmic alignment
As the name suggests, people look for matching and compatible zodiac signs to create a perfect match. The learning focuses on having a relationship that has synchronized star alignment. The water signs or air signs have a great match with similar cosmic qualities.
So, couples seek a match that is based on astrology. Some even seek tarot card assistance to learn if the relationship is a perfect match or not. There are no proven theories as such, but people tend to look for spiritually inclined connections as well.
7. Fleabagging: Learning from past mistakes
Do you know that TV show “Fleabag”? The term fleabagging is inspired from there. It reflects on destructive dating patterns and how you can prevent them in future relationships. Fleabagging focuses on the significance of self-growth and valuing personal morals in the dating journey.
It encourages you to learn from past mistakes and build a stronger mindset while dating someone new. The emphasis is mainly on knitting healthier relationships and fulfilling connections.
8. Fizzling: Decline in connection- A bit weird but a popular dating terminology
It is similar to a cold drink or a soda bottle going flat. Just like the carbon dioxide escapes from the soda bottle after being left unused for a long time similarly the bond, the connection fades from a relationship. It is either because you entered the relationship for a purpose and it got fulfilled, you find no reason to stay in the relationship.
Sometimes, both the parties involved start losing interest in the relationship and they eventually break up. Also, fizzling takes place when you are uncertain of the future of the bond. The feelings fade away and you lose emotional connection with that person.
9. Pocketing: Keeping the relationship a secret
Couples usually do this when they aren’t comfortable disclosing their relationship to family and friends. Either because they aren’t sure if they will continue or they aren’t serious about the relationship.
It simply means ‘keeping the boyfriend in a pocket’. Hidden from the outer world. Also, some get into pocketing when they are dating more than two people simultaneously. So, disclosing the relationship may ruin their prospect with other suitable partners. Some may call it a practical approach but ironically, it is cheating.
10. Affordating: Money matters
In this type of dating, you consider your financial situation before saying let’s get crazy in love. It is a typical dating style where you budget your expenses and avoid splurging on unnecessary matters.
For instance, you may avoid going out on date nights or nightclubs and instead stay at home chill over popcorn and Netflix. For you, it will be like spending quality time together rather than spending frivolously.
Conclusion
The modern dating scene is influenced by societal shifts, individual preferences, and technology. For many, dating is a fun game. However, you should never forget that it involves emotional investment to a large extent. So, it should not be a selfish game.
However, the trends reflect that the dating rules in today’s time are based on selfish motives. True love and deep emotional connection, as loyalty and commitment, can nowhere be seen. The only solution is to keep your thoughts clear and be open about your true intentions. Avoid playing with feelings.
