‘White Clawing’ is the problematic dating trend you’ve probably done without realising

There have been so many dating trends to look out for this year and it’s a lot to take in. But instead of telling you it gets better, there’s another one to keep in mind when deciding to go on a date.

You’ve heard of breadcrumbing, ghosting, and whatever else has been floating about but you’ve probably not been introduced to 'White Clawing'.

Yes, like the beverage.

White Clawing involves being attracted, yet bored in a relationship. (Catherine Falls Commercial/Getty Stock Image)

This type of dating faux pas is named after the drink as it initially seems appetising before your drink it to find that it’s bland.

You may already know where we’re going with this.

A hot stud who seems exciting, but your relationship takes a blunder when you begin to realise that he’s boring.

How common is 'White Clawing'?

According to a 2019 Plenty of Fish survey of 1,000 app users, over a quarter of singletons have White Clawed.

Fran Greene, the author of The Secret Rules of Flirting believes that White Clawing is common and can be a real ego boost.

She told Elite Daily: “Often, the person who is White Clawing actually tries to convince themselves they are into their date when they truly are not.”

She went on to explain that White Clawing is common among people who feel more secure within themselves when they’re dating than when they are single.

Rachel told the publication that she was guilty of doing it too.

She said: “It’s tough to admit this, but I White Clawed one guy for a full six months.

“He was a successful entrepreneur and former college football player — but his sense of humor and idea of fun couldn’t have been further from mine, and all in all we wanted very different things out of life.

"It took unexpectedly meeting someone I actually clicked with to help me face the reality of the situation — I finally stopped kidding myself, realized I was into him for all the wrong reasons, and promptly ended it.”

Why is 'White Clawing' problematic?

Greene added: “Dating someone who looks good confirms to the person who’s been dumped that there is hope that someone attractive will be attracted to them.”

Just let them go. (Dmytro Betsenko/Getty Stock Image)

But it’s just not fair to the other person who may believe you’re the perfect match.

Greene suggests letting them move on and breaking up to save them from the heartache.

She said: “Anytime you deceive someone to serve your own needs, it’s unfair to the other person.”

“If finding the love of your life is your goal, you will waste precious time by focusing on someone’s looks and not what makes a relationship work for a life together.

“As time goes on, the thrill of the good looks will disappear and the lack of connection will shine through.”

So, never toy with another person’s feelings and give them the respect they deserve to explore other options; options that are a better fit than what you have with them.