Let's face it: dating is not always nice and easy. More often than not, something happens that is far from ideal. With dating trends like cushioning, breadcrumbing, and of course, ghosting, it's hard for relationships to be a walk in the park.
With the new year right around the corner, I purpose the idea that we change the way dating is approached. Let's hope these thirteen dating trends DON'T make a return in 2019.
Haunting
Honestly, I hate all of these trends with a passion, but I think I might hate haunting the most. Haunting occurs when you've ended a relationship/fling/hookup with someone, whether that be mutual or the person ghosted you, yet they still lurk around on your social media. They're still viewing every single Snap story you post and will even like your Instagram pictures every so often. Haunting truly sucks because just when you think you've moved on from this person, they like one of your selfies and you're back to thinking of them again.
Cushioning
Cushioning is the dating trend that inspired this list. Honestly, once I heard about cushioning, I instantly feared being nothing more than a cushion to someone...and then I remembered how many times I've cushioned someone myself. Basically, cushioning is when you have your main fling, and a bunch of smaller side flings, "cushioning" you to a potential heartache should your main fling fall through. Yikes. This has got to stop.
Breadcrumbing
Oh, breadcrumbing. The cause of nearly half of my college heartbreaks. When someone breadcrumbs you, they don't exactly ghost you, instead, they text you just enough for you to think they're some kind of hope left for your relationship. I'd venture to say breadcrumbing is a million times shittier than ghosting, because your interaction with this person has them hoping there's still a possibility between the two of you. Honest, open communication is key. If you don't want to be with someone, don't breadcrumb them. Just let them know how you feel.
Stashing
Have you been seeing someone for months, yet still haven't met a single one of their friends or family? Then congratulations, you're being stashed. Stashers also won't post their new boo on social media, because they usually don't want others to know about the relationship. How shitty.
Ghosting
Oh, ghosting. We all talk about how terrible it is and it's easily the most well-known dating trend on this list. Will 2019 be the year ghosting comes to an end? Honestly probably not, but a girl can hope.
Submarining
What's worse than ghosting? Submarining. If someone is submarining you, they'll cut you off without any reason or explanation (ghosting in its finest form), then REAPPEAR in your life, once again without any rhyme or reason. Taking a two month break from someone without any reason isn't cool. We all deserve so much better than that.
Kittenfishing
Honestly, who isn't guilty of kittenfishing? Telling little white lies or exaggerations about ourselves to make us seem like the best damn version of ourselves possible is pretty common, but also is deception, which isn't cool.
Curving
Instead of ghosting you, someone who is curving you will reply to your Tinder messages...with four day gaps in between. They'll tell you they're soooo sorry, but they've just been so busy with school/work/their clearly busy life that they didn't have thirty seconds in the past four days to text you back. It's their shady way of saying they're not interested, without actually admitting it and dragging you along.
Mosting
Mosting is the most similar to to ghosting, only with the heartbreak times a million. If someone is mosting you, they'll give you all the fluffy-duffy love that you've always dreamed of having very quickly then it will just disappear, zero to one hundred real damn quick. The thing that hurts the most is most of the time everything they said was a lie, which is completely soul crushing.
Almost-relationships
Oh, the infamous almost relationships. These really suck. You're SO close with a person, it's just a label away from being something, then just like that it's completely gone. Can I please not enter another almost relationship in 2019?
Cleaning our rooms SPECIFICALLY for hookups
Okay, hear me out on this one. It's significantly different than a lot of the others, but it's still a habit we have GOT to ditch in 2019. Who else is guilty of having the cleanest room in your entire apartment complex specifically when someone is about to come over for an hour or so in the sheets? We put all this time and effort into making sure every little detail of our bedroom is picture perfect for someone who is going to be too focused on getting it in by time they get there that they won't even pay attention. Just chill with this! Keep your room decently clean at all times and if your hookup isn't okay with a little bit of trash in your trash can and papers spread across your desk, maybe you shouldn't be sleeping with them.
Catfishing
Although it may ruin MTV's best TV show EVER, let's keep the catfishing in 2018. It just isn't the move anymore.
Serendipidating
According to Huffington Post, this dating trend is the "worst decision any single can make" and let's be real, I think we're all pretty guilty of it. If you're guilty of serendipidating, you put off first date after first date hoping that something better will come to you. Think of it like this: have you ever had a Tinder match ask you for coffee, but you said no not because you didn't like the person but instead because you thought you could find someone better than them? Yep...that's serendipidating. Just go for it! You never know what you could be getting into! (Which I guess, after reading this list, may not be a good thing...)
