The world of dating is a scary place, and now there’s another trend to be wary of.
In recent weeks, we have been exposed to many different dating trends that Gen Z is conjuring up, and they are quite confusing to hear at first.
The first was Toothing, something that was originally reported by Reuters via ABC back in 2004 as being: “A form of anonymous sex with strangers, usually on some form of transport or enclosed area such as a conference or training seminar.”
Obviously, in an age where we’re all on Tinder swipes and Hinge, anon sex seems a little unlikely to happen.
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Then, there was the introduction to things like ghosting, breadcrumbing, shrekking, or cushioning.
When it comes to shrekking, it’s one that was controversial at best.
Shrekking is deliberately choosing to 'date down' when it comes to looks, in the hopes that the less attractive person will treat you better because you’re desirable and will be scared to lose you.
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You can see where the issues lie here.
Dating coach, Hayley Quinn, explained to us just why it’s not a great way to operate.
She said: "This applies the crude metric that if dating people you're really attracted to hasn't worked, that if you date someone you're not that attracted to, that they'll be more appreciative of the relationship.
"Whilst being flexible on your type can be a good thing, hoping that someone you find less attractive will be grateful for their chance to date you, feels like a stretch."
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Anyway, this new trend is also causing chaos in its own way, and that’s because it relies on tech.
Known as bio-baiting, it’s something that involves a bit of deception.
Essentially, it’s when someone lies on their online dating biography to reel in potential suitors, although some migth argue this is just called online dating.
Surprisingly, it’s a common thing that people do these days.
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According to a poll by Wisp, 63 percent of its 1,500 contributors admitted to feeling disappointed after meeting someone who didn’t quite live up to what they’d written on their profile.
It stated that 51 percent were let down by someone who said they were an ‘adventurer’, 68 percent were fooled by a ‘love to travel’ date, and more.
However, 39 percent admitted they had described themselves as an ‘entrepreneur’ online, and 34 percent marked themselves as a ‘foodie’.
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29 percent opted to say they were ‘spontaneous’.
As per Wisp’s dating expert, Sylvia Linzalone, these things are making people not want to use online apps to date.
"The disappointment of meeting someone who doesn’t live up to their bio is a primary reason for dating app fatigue. It erodes trust and makes the entire process feel disingenuous," she said, via Indy100.
But there are ways you can get around this and weed those people out so you can enjoy dating once and for all.
Linzalone advised: "Look for specifics over vagaries. A ‘traveller’ can be a red flag; someone who says ‘hiking the Andes next month’ is probably genuine."
You could also choose to meet them sooner so that you can get to know them in person and feel them out.
Topics: Dating, Dating trends, Sex and Relationships
Britt Jones