When it comes to dating in 2021, you need a whole glossary to understand what is going on! Let’s not forget it is a Gen Z world, and we millennials are just living it. Even though the world of dating can seem like a minefield of technical jargon, we are here to help you navigate it.
There are countless Gen Z internet dating terms that have flooded social media, and we’ve picked the ones you *must* know as a millennial. Let’s start with some super basic terms!
Ghosting
Imagine you meet a person and you hit it off. You start imagining a long term relationship with them, but then all of a sudden, they disappear. There is radio silence on their end, and that’s what you call ghosting. It is quite common in the online dating world, and the worst part of ghosting is that there is often no explanation.
Catfishing
In simple terms, catfishing means luring someone into a relationship by pretending to be someone else. Catfishers steal photos from strangers’ profiles to look authentic. Yes, it is super messed-up, so don’t believe everything that you see on the ‘Gram!
Situationship
A situationship is an undefined romantic relationship. This definition-free relationship can turn into a relationship or you might get ghosted!
Now, let’s move on to some complicated terminologies!
Benching
So, you know how a cricket team of 11 players has a 12th player sitting on the bench, waiting for his/her turn. Benching is a bit like that! Benching is when you’re just not that into someone, but you don’t want them to move on. So…you keep them as your backup. It is also called breadcrumbing.
Cuffed/Cuffing Season
Cuffing season is the period between early fall and late winter when everyone starts to get into a relationship. This happens mostly to avoid winter blues and gloominess. Being cuffed means moving into a relationship during s.
DTR
There’s no great mystery here—DTR simply stands for defining the relationship. It is a big step in a relationship! Are you exclusive, or just friends or in a situationship? You need to DTR to find out!
Firedooring
This one is a little tricky! It means that your relationship is one-sided. You are involved with a person who will never reach out or text/call you but you’ll instantly drop everything to be with them. This is firedooring and it is downright toxic.
Love Bombing
Love Bombing means showing extreme amounts of affection early in a relationship. This is done to woo the other person but…once the relationship is formed, the charm wears off, and the person becomes controling. It is quite manipulative!
Simping
Simping = Being a simp. A simp is a person who shows excessive sympathy and attention toward another person without getting an equal response. Simps use faux niceness and concern in the hope that it will one day result in pity sex or a relationship.
Phew! Learning all these new words might take a bit of time, but we are sure you are now more than ready to date like Gen Z-er. Just don’t fall into the trap of firedooring or simping!
Featured Image Credit: Pixabay
