‘Future faking’ is the red flag dating trend you need to look out for

We've already heard about the likes of 'zip-coding,' 'bio-bating' and even 'Shrekking' - and now, experts are warning against yet another worrying dating trend.

Dating these days can seem like a minefield as it is, never mind when you throw in all of the new, elaborately-named Gen Z trends to look out for.

However, 'future faking' might take the cake for being the most hurtful and manipulative relationship tactic to be wary of.

Now, we all know how easy it is to get completely swept up in a new romance, and most of us are guilty of getting our hopes way too high after a successful few dates.

Even if it's very early on, when we hear something like, 'I can't wait for you to meet my family' or 'We should book a holiday together', it only adds to the warm, fuzzy feeling.

It's easy to ignore the alarm bells and instead look at the situation through rose-tinted glasses, thinking, 'Wow, they must really like me!' and pushing away any thoughts of 'But it's only been two dates?'

'Future faking' is the latest dating trend to watch out for (Getty Stock Image)

In actual fact, though, it's a major red flag that you shouldn't ignore, as it could be a sign of 'future faking'.

What is 'future faking'?

Future faking is a relationship tactic where someone will make exaggerated promises about a shared future, such as talking about moving in together, marriage, or other major commitments, without any genuine intention of making those promises a reality.

It's essentially love-bombing, where someone says everything you want to hear and more, without really meaning any of it. This, of course, can leave you feeling hurt and confused.

For example, they might tell you they want to be married, but whenever a real timeline of engagement comes up, they'll swiftly move the conversation on.

Or, they'll talk the talk about wanting to travel the world together, but leave you stranded when it comes to actually booking the flights.

What are the signs of 'future faking' to look out for?

Signs of future faking to look out for include noticing they never follow through on big promises and they're always shifting the timelines of when they say something will happen, meaning you feel confused and off-balance.

There are some key signs to look out for (Getty Stock Image)

What to do if you're being future faked

If you think you're a victim of 'future faking', you can try to avoid getting swept up in their grand ideas, take a step back and look at what's really going on.

If you're in the early stages of your romance, you can slow things down, set firm boundaries and don't go along with their big promises.

You can also ask clarifying questions like, 'I’d love to see these plans happen—what steps can we take to make this real?' and see what their response is like.

Most importantly, don't blame yourself and know when to call it quits or take a step back.

Questions you can ask yourself if you think you might be being future faked

According to Psychology Today, these are:

• How realistic are their future visions?
• How do they react when you question their future vision?
• What specifically are they doing to make this future a reality?
• How many of their promises have they fulfilled to date?
• Do they apologise, take responsibility, feel remorse, and make amends when they fail to fulfil commitments or do they blame others?
• Do you feel rushed or pressured?
• What does your intuition say?