Gen Z Daters Identify Three “Canon Event” Dating Patterns

Ghosting, situationships and breadcrumbing have become familiar terms in discussions about modern dating. Now, a survey by Indian dating app QuackQuack suggests younger daters are also identifying less overt, and not necessarily harmful, behaviours that are shaping how they approach relationships.

The survey of more than 10,000 active dating app users aged 18 to 28 across metropolitan, suburban and rural India highlighted three patterns: “canon events”, “emotional layovers” and “dial-toning”. Respondents were evenly divided between men and women and represented a range of professional backgrounds.

A canon event describes a relationship or dating experience that someone knowingly enters despite expecting it to be temporary, often because of what they hope to learn or experience from it. More than 3,945 respondents aged 23 to 28 reported having at least one such experience. Nearly four in 10 women said they had dated someone despite knowing the relationship was unlikely to last, while 27% of men in Tier 1 and 2 cities said they had pursued relationships with people very different from themselves to better understand their preferences and dealbreakers.

An emotional layover, meanwhile, refers to a temporary romantic connection formed during periods of loneliness, vulnerability or major life changes. Around 37% of respondents over 25 said matches had sometimes occupied this role. While some viewed these connections positively, 22% warned that repeatedly relying on them during difficult periods could become a pattern. The survey also found that some participants recognised when they were providing, or receiving, temporary emotional support.

The third trend, dial-toning, involves maintaining a low-level connection with someone without actively pursuing a relationship. This can include occasional social media reactions, viewing stories or sending an emoji response. More than 45% of respondents in Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bangalore said they had encountered the behaviour, while 55% of those aged 18 to 26 admitted to maintaining such connections for months before recognising the pattern.