Dating has change a lot in the last few years. It wasn't that long ago that online dating was primarily used by divorcees and other single people who were a little older and looking to settle down. Nowadays it's seen as a little unusual if you don't use at least one dating app or online service of some sort, and most people aren't looking for potential partners in bars, clubs or cafes - after all, why do that when you can find out what someone is like before you meet up with them?
However, it's not like this new dating landscape doesn't have its downsides. In fact, there are so many ways that people can screw you over that the new terms cropping up could fill their own dictionary. Most people are familiar with ghosting (now officially in the dictionary), when someone suddenly withdraws from all communication without explanation, but there are plenty of other dating trends to look out for.
There's 'stashing', where someone decides to hide the person they're dating from their family and friends. They may be dating in most senses of the word, but they can get away with treating you worse because deep down they see it as you're not actually together. Then there's 'mosting', where someone comes on strong (maybe even too strong), before deciding to ghost after all.
There's too many terms to count, including the likes of 'curving', 'orbiting', 'r-bombing', 'Gatsbying', and 'microcheating' - which all work towards making the single life a little less desirable. And now there's a new one that people have picked up on, known as 'you-turning'.
You-turning is where someone falls head over heels in love with someone by all accounts, but then suddenly changes their mind and acts completely differently - either ghosting or showing a lot less passion and interest despite their earlier behaviour. It's a sudden and intense change to go through, and can leave you feeling a little crazy, wondering whether you did something wrong or just misunderstood the entire situation.
According to a survey undertaken by dating service Plenty of Fish, around 29% of those on the dating scene have experienced this kind of behaviour from someone, which is pretty damn high when you think about it. On top of this, women are reportedly more likely to 'you-turn' than men are, with 23% of men doing it compared to 37% of women.
It's hard to control your emotions, and there's always the chance that you can have strong feelings that start to lessen over time - but it's still possible to communicate how you feel in a transparent way, and maybe pay a little attention to how your behaviour could be interpreted by someone else.
A rarer but no less frustrating dating trend that was coined by eharmony last year is 'scroogeing', where someone is broken up with right before Christmas just so they don't have to buy a gift. Apparently, 18 to 24-year-olds are the worst offenders with this trend, deciding to call it quits to avoid splashing out on a present. Hopefully none of you had to deal with this particular trend over the holidays...
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