The New York Post has documented the terms which have defined dating over the past decade.
Ghosting, the act of ending a relationship by immediately and unexpectedly cutting off all communications, was named as the “worst [trend] of all”. Dating apps have spent the last few years coming up with ways to encourage people to stop ghosting, such as Bumble’s annual Halloween campaign and Hinge’s ‘Ghost Stories’ podcast.
However, media outlets have criticised these initiatives by accusing them of being attempts to increase engagement rather than to actually help the users.
This trend also led to the formation of two other behaviours, cloaking and orbiting. The former refers to when a person stands someone up on a date before blocking them on a dating app, while the latter describes a ghoster who still publicly interacts with the ghostee’s social media posts.
The article acknowledges how the word ‘swipe’ has changed in the last ten years. First made popular when Tinder launched in 2012, ‘swipe’ has become synonymous with dating apps that present users with a large number of possible options.
The word has also made its way to new sectors. Uber announced the launch of its latest app for shift workers in October, a service whereby people swipe through part-time freelance work that best suits their skills.
‘Cuffing Season’ describes the months leading up to winter when singles look to find a partner to settle down with during the cold and dark period. Last year, Badoo revealed 71% of its users said they wanted a serious relationship during Cuffing Season, as they thought winter was the most romantic season.
Finally, the New York Post noted ‘Catfish’ as a big issue facing the online dating industry. Many platforms have introduced safety measures, such as photo verification procedures and live video calls, to prevent users from falling victim to catfish.
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