• News
  • Life
  • TV & Film
  • Beauty
  • Style
  • Home
  • News
    • Celebrity
    • Entertainment
    • Politics
    • Royal Family
  • Life
    • Animals
    • Food & Drink
    • Women's Health
    • Mental Health
    • Sex & Relationships
    • Travel
    • Real Life
  • TV & Film
    • True Crime
    • Documentaries
    • Netflix
    • BBC
    • ITV
    • Tyla Recommends
  • Beauty
    • Hair
    • Make-up
    • Skincare
  • Style
    • Home
    • Fashion
    • Shopping
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
Submit Your Content
Tell-tale signs your partner is ‘benching’ you after latest dating trend worse than ‘ghosting’ emerges

Home> Life> Sex & Relationships

Updated 13:01 11 Jul 2024 GMT+1Published 12:59 11 Jul 2024 GMT+1

Tell-tale signs your partner is ‘benching’ you after latest dating trend worse than ‘ghosting’ emerges

The four key dealbreakers to confirm whether you've been 'benched' have been unveiled

Ella Scott

Ella Scott

Relationship experts have revealed the key signs to look out for when dating to avoid being ‘benched’ - a subtle practice that makes ‘ghosting’ look like a walk in the park.

Due to the rapid rise of dating apps over the last decade, terms such as ‘cuffing season’, the ‘Ben stage’ and more recently the ‘777 rule’ have entered our everyday rhetoric.

Arguably the most common ‘red flag’ dating trend though is ghosting - the act of ignoring someone you’ve been speaking to and essentially vanishing from their life with no explanation.

Advert

The clear signs of 'benching' have been unveiled. (Catherine Falls Commercial / Getty Images)
The clear signs of 'benching' have been unveiled. (Catherine Falls Commercial / Getty Images)

However, relationship experts have recently detailed a new dating trend called ‘benching’ which they claim is worse than being ghosted, if you can believe that.

Unfortunately, benching occurs when you are relegated to being someone else’s plan B person, rather than their plan A.

Despite the person you’re dating continuing to see you, text you and interact with you on social media, you will no longer be their priority.

Advert

Instead, they may pour their attention into another person or even a hobby or a career move, thus benching you.

“Benching means keeping a backup player on the sidelines, not letting them participate in the live action of one’s life, but letting them think they are a part of it because they get a better seat than those in the bleachers,” says Claudia de Llano, a licensed marriage and family therapist.

So if you’re into football, then think of it as if you’ve been dropped from the Starting XI for another player who the manager believes will excel in the position instead.

Of course, it is possible to cease being benched and to become someone’s main dating priority again.

Advert

However, in most cases, it can be quite difficult to get yourself back into the starting position.

But how do you know you’ve been benched? And is your relationship in danger of dropping off?

Well, if you’re reading this and fear you’ve become a victim of this dating trend then fret not because there are several key signs you can look out for.

One-sided interactions

If you’re texting first, planning the dates, seeking out confirmations and putting all the effort in then this could be a sure-fire sign that you’ve been benched.

Advert

Remember though that your potential flame could just be a bad communicator. But if your courtship didn’t initially start out as a one-sided affair, then you may want to look a little closer.

If your partner suddenly has limited availability, it could mean you've been benched. (Tom Werner / Getty Images)
If your partner suddenly has limited availability, it could mean you've been benched. (Tom Werner / Getty Images)

Intuition

They say that your gut usually knows what’s wrong and what’s right and if you believe things have changed between you and your S.O. then you may just be onto something.

Inconsistency

One day you may get reams of detailed messages from the person you are dating and other times you could receive sporadic one-word replies.

Advert

Sometimes they blow hot, other times they’re chilly with you and you never know where you stand.

If this inconsistent behaviour sounds like your relationship then it could be a clear sign that you’ve suffered a benching.

Limited availability

Another sign that you’ve been benched is if the person you’re dating goes from having lots of spare time to spend with you to zilch.

Suddenly those free Sunday afternoons are booked up, they’re unavailable for lunch on a Tuesday and they’re finding every excuse in the book not to see you.

You have been warned, everyone.

Featured Image Credit: Getty stock images

Topics: Dating, Dating trends, Sex and Relationships, Advice

Ella Scott
Ella Scott

Advert

Advert

Advert

  • How to tell if your partner is ‘roaching’ you after Gen Z issued warning on latest dating trend
  • 'Benching' is the latest dating trend and it’s even worse than 'ghosting'
  • ‘Lavender marriage’ trend taking over Gen Z might be more sinister than you think
  • ‘Roaching’ is the latest dating trend Gen Z need to be wary of and it’s as disgusting as it sounds

Choose your content:

20 hours ago
3 days ago
  • 20 hours ago

    Model sparks important conversation after sharing reality of period leak during Wimbledon appearance

    The 28-year-old star has earned more than two million views with her latest TikTok

    Life
  • 3 days ago

    People only just realising why Getty images is called that

    Brace yourself for some pretty wild family stories

    Life
  • 3 days ago

    Psychologists issue warning for any Gen Z person who owns a Labubu

    Has Trinket Core gone too far? Tyla spoke with psychologists and consumer experts to find out the truth behind the trend

    Life
  • 3 days ago

    There’s only one Starbucks in the world where staff are not allowed to ask for your name

    No butchering someone's name in this store...

    Life