41 Modern Dating Trends You Need to Know 🤔

Being a married, relationship coach of-a-certain-age means that I have to do my research to understand the latest dating trends, moves and terminology.

So if you are busy single and doing your best to keep up with the ever-changing dating landscape you may not have had time to do any research yourself.

Today I decided to do it for you, (and for myself 😃) to highlight some of the latest and greatest (and not so greatest) dating trends, moves and terminology. Some of these trends are good to know so that you can avoid them at all cost!

1) Stashing – This occurs when the person you’re dating doesn’t introduce you to their friends or family, and doesn’t post about you on social media.

2) Ghosting (aka Caspering)- This happens when someone you’ve been dating vanishes or disappears without a trace.

3) Zombie-ing (aka Haunting) – When your ex or someone you dated in the past returns (from the dead) via text or through your social media feeds.

4) Catch and release – The continuous act of hooking up with people without becoming emotionally or physically attached to them.

5) Breadcrumbing- This happens when somebody seems to be pursuing you with flirtatious texts or calls, but really they have no intention of being in a serious relationship.

6) Catfishing – Famously coined from the documentary and TV show by the same name, this is happens when a you meet someone online and person lures you into a relationship by pretending to be someone else.

7) Cuffing Season – Simply, the period during the autumn and winter months when finding a boyfriend or girlfriend is a lot more appealing.

8) Recycling – When you or someone you are dating goes back to an ex.

9) DTR – An acronym for “Define the Relationship”. This is a very important time because if you set out to DTR too early you risk scaring the other person away; too late and you might discover they’ve had time to find someone else.

10) FBO An acronym for “Facebook Official” – When you change your Facebook relationship status.

11) Textlationship – When we are dating someone but you text more than you see face to face.

12) Curve – Getting curved is being rejected or dissed by someone. Unlike Ghosting where they disappear completely, when someone “curves” you, they keep responding, but they shun commitment or any attempts to define your relationship.13) Emergency call – You’re genuinely afraid of insulting the stranger you’re sitting across from, a fake emergency call from a friend saying “Your brother’s in the hospital” or “Your cat just died” early on in the evening can be a real lifesaver.

14) Cushioning – In this process someone stays n contact with one or more romantic partners as a backup in case things don’t go as planned with the person they really like.

15) Kittenfishing – Unlike it’s more heavy handed cousin the Catfish, this happens whenever you or someone else portrays themselves in an unrealistically positive light in an online dating profile. For example, changing age, height or body type in their favor.

16) Love Bombing – Someone who shows lots of affection and kindness early on, but once committed to a relationship, the love bomber will withdraw all that affection and let their true self come through.

17) Microcheating – Think emotional affair, rather than a sexual one, complete with heavy on or off-line flirting and lots of secrecy.

18) Netflix and chill”- Previously a euphemism for a stay-at-home date that now means you stayed in had sex.

19) Pie Hunting – An unsavory dating phenomenon in which a person (the “hunter”) deliberately dates “pies”, or heartbroken, vulnerable people with messy dating histories, who are perceived to be easier and lower-maintenance.

20) Roaching – Someone in who is in a serious and/or committed relationship, but dates around anyway and when found out claims that there was no implication of monogamy so what’s the problem.

21) Slow Fade (aka Fizzling) – The slow fade is the process of ending an relationship by gradually reducing contact and response times.

22) Submarining – A distant cousin to Zombie-ing, but when the old flame pops back up, rather than copping to the disappearance, they act as if the fact that their quick reappearance back into our life is complete normal.

23) Thirst trap – When someone posts intentionally sexually provocative pictures on social media in order to draw in the more hapless (Thirsty) daters.

24) Daterview – A date that feels more like a job interview then a date, You’re barraged with lots of of questions about your job, family, education, where you grew up, etc.

25) Lovebombing – When someone drops tons of affection and/or gifts on you at the beginning of a relationship as an attempt to draw you in and build trust… also possibly to establish an unhealthy level of control over you.

26) Matrimania – Excessive and unhealthy enthusiasm for weddings and marriage.

27) Peacocking – Dressing up in order to gain attention—the way peacocks display their feathers.

28) Nonversation – Uninspired banter or small talk with a dating-app match that pretty much goes nowhere, and doesn’t lead to a date.

29) Monkeying –Hopping from one relationship to the next without a break in between, like a primate swinging from branch to branch.

30) Rebating – The term is being used to describe when two people go out on a date, and afterward, one person lets the other know they aren’t interested. Then, the presumably rejected person (who paid) submits a Venmo request to the other person for half of the cost of the date.

31) Breezing – The positive term of Breezing means being direct and saying what you actually want in a relationship. No game playing at all.

32) Gatsybing – When you post something like a snapshot of your travels, or a sexy pic — just so someone you like will see it.

33) Orbiting – When someone continues to follow you online, even after they’ve ghosted you.

34) Phubbing- This is a combination of the words “phone” and “snubbing.” If your date would rather check their social media posts than listen to what you have to say when sitting in front of you. Basically, they prefer to look at their phone over talking to you.

35) Draking – Coined by the singer of the same name this happens when someone is being extremely emotional. Drunk texting or calling exes are good example of Draking.

36) Slow Texting – Waiting for a text message response for a long period of time with no explanation.

37) Hatfish – A person who looks attractive while wearing a hat, but looks completely different once they take it off.

38) R-Bombing – This occurs when someone reads your text message and clearly does not respond to it on purpose.

39) Tuning – The step before actually dating, usually at this stage both people are aware they like each other but choose to flirt a bit first.

40) Penguin – Derived from the fact penguins mate for life, this happens when you found the person you want to be with forever… your penguin.

41) Situationship – Defined as a relationship that’s not quite a romantic relationship but definitely more than a platonic one.

I know the dating jungle can be a scary place, especially with all these freaking terms. I can help ease the anxiety and educate you on best practices so you can avoid most of these. Schedule a Relationship Review with me here and let’s talk!

Can’t wait to meet you.