PSYCHOLOGY TODAY - Jan 30 - According to online dating coach Eric Resnick, "Swipe apps have trained the newest generation of single adults to look at online dating as more of a video game than as a viable way to make a real connection." Some new language describing some of the toxic dating behaviors has emerged as a result of online dating, including the following:
- Ghosting: Disappearing from the life of someone you've been dating.
- Swiping Left: Dismissing someone in less than the time it takes to sneeze.
- Cookie-jarring: Keeping someone as a back-up.
- Orbiting: When somebody is not quite a part of your life but makes sure to keep themselves relevant to you by popping up on your social media, for example.
- Breadcrumbing: Sending sporadic but noncommittal messages as a way of keeping a dating prospect on hold.
- Benching: Similar to breadcrumbing and cookie-jarring. Keeping someone on the sidelines until further notice.
Also having too many available options can be detrimental. "People have access to more options than ever, so much so that a single option feels disposable," says dating coach and author of The Love Gap Jenna Birch. "This often leaves people second-guessing themselves and wondering if they could have done better."
