Usually when we write about dating trends, we’re discussing terms made up to describe truly awful behaviour.
There’s stashing, which is when someone you’re dating hides you away from their friends, family, and social media.
And runging, which describes when people deliberately date people ‘below’ them to boost their own self-esteem.
Thunberging, as coined by OkCupid, is a rare dating trend that isn’t actually terrible.
The dating site defines Thunberging as thus: ‘This is where daters bond over their passion for the environment climate change’.
So essentially, to Thunberg – named after environmental activist Greta Thunberg, obviously – is to care about the environment and chat about it with someone you’re interested in. Sounds good to us.
OkCupid says that along with a 240% increase in mentions of climate change and other environmental terms on profiles in the last two years, in 2019 there was an 800% increase in mentions of Greta Thunberg specifically.
As Greta is only 17, we’re assuming that people mention her in their bios to flag up their eco-friendly credentials, rather than using her as an example of their type on (recycled) paper.
OkCupid said: ‘With climate change becoming a major talking point globally, we’re finding more and more people’s passion for the planet is becoming a steamy subject.
‘It’s no surprise to learn that young Gen Z and millennial daters on OkCupid care about climate change, but within the last year alone, these singletons are matching on the basis of this topic more than ever.
‘In fact, our in-app question asking people if they are concerned about climate change was one of the most answered questions of 2019, and there’s been over 4 million responses to our questions on climate change and the environment.
With this new phenomenon continuing to intensify around the globe, OkCupid is coining this trend ‘Thunberging’ due to an 800% increase in mentions of Greta Thunberg on OkCupid profiles around the world last year, highlighting the impact she has had on younger generations around the world.
‘Who better to represent this powerful movement towards climate change activism than Greta herself?’
While chatting about ecoanxiety might feel a bit heavy for initial dating discussions, it might be worth mentioning that you care about the environment.
Back in December, Tinder revealed that the climate crisis was one of the most popular topics mentioned in bios – and we spoke to multiple singles who said they’d be more keen to date someone who is bothered about the world burning.
OkCupid’s research found that 51% of their users rank climate change as the most important issue for them, and that Gen Z holds this issue especially close to their heart.
Our advice: mention you care about the environment if it’s something you’re genuinely interested in. Feel free to chat about the climate crisis.
But be ready to speedily switch up your talks to another, lighter subject if needed. Having a little cry over the planet’s impending doom doesn’t exactly foster that fun, flirty vibe.
Dating terms and trends, defined
Blue-stalling: When two people are dating and acting like a couple, but one person in the partnership states they're unready for any sort of label or commitment (despite acting in a different manner).
Breadcrumbing: Leaving ‘breadcrumbs’ of interest – random noncommittal messages and notifications that seem to lead on forever, but don’t actually end up taking you anywhere worthwhile Breadcrumbing is all about piquing someone’s interest without the payoff of a date or a relationship.
Caspering: Being a friendly ghost - meaning yes, you ghost, but you offer an explanation beforehand. Caspering is all about being a nice human being with common decency. A novel idea.
Catfish: Someone who uses a fake identity to lure dates online.
Clearing: Clearing season happens in January. It’s when we’re so miserable thanks to Christmas being over, the cold weather, and general seasonal dreariness, that we will hook up with anyone just so we don’t feel completely unattractive. You might bang an ex, or give that creepy guy who you don’t really fancy a chance, or put up with truly awful sex just so you can feel human touch. It’s a tough time. Stay strong.
Cloutlighting: Cloutlighting is the combo of gaslighting and chasing social media clout. Someone will bait the person they’re dating on camera with the intention of getting them upset or angry, or making them look stupid, then share the video for everyone to laugh at.
Cockfishing: Also known as catcocking. When someone sending dick pics uses photo editing software or other methods to change the look of their penis, usually making it look bigger than it really is.
Cuffing season: The chilly autumn and winter months when you are struck by a desire to be coupled up, or cuffed.
Firedooring: Being firedoored is when the access is entirely on one side, so you're always waiting for them to call or text and your efforts are shot down.
Fishing: When someone will send out messages to a bunch of people to see who’d be interested in hooking up, wait to see who responds, then take their pick of who they want to get with. It’s called fishing because the fisher loads up on bait, waits for one fish to bite, then ignores all the others.
Flashpanner: Someone who’s addicted to that warm, fuzzy, and exciting start bit of a relationship, but can’t handle the hard bits that might come after – such as having to make a firm commitment, or meeting their parents, or posting an Instagram photo with them captioned as ‘this one’.
Freckling: Freckling is when someone pops into your dating life when the weather’s nice… and then vanishes once it’s a little chillier.
Gatsbying: To post a video, picture or selfie to public social media purely for a love interest to see it.
Ghosting: Cutting off all communication without explanation.
Grande-ing: Being grateful, rather than resentful, for your exes, just like Ariana Grande.
Hatfishing: When someone who looks better when wearing a hat has pics on their dating profile that exclusively show them wearing hats.
Kittenfishing: Using images that are of you, but are flattering to a point that it might be deceptive. So using really old or heavily edited photos, for example. Kittenfishes can also wildly exaggerate their height, age, interests, or accomplishments.
Lovebombing: Showering someone with attention, gifts, gestures of affection, and promises for your future relationship, only to distract them from your not-so-great bits. In extreme cases this can form the basis for an abusive relationship.
Microcheating: Cheating without physically crossing the line. So stuff like emotional cheating, sexting, confiding in someone other than your partner, that sort of thing.
Mountaineering: Reaching for people who might be out of your league, or reaching for the absolute top of the mountain.
Obligaswiping: The act of endlessly swiping on dating apps and flirt-chatting away with no legitimate intention of meeting up, so you can tell yourself you're doing *something* to put yourself out there.
Orbiting: The act of watching someone's Instagram stories or liking their tweets or generally staying in their 'orbit' after a breakup.
Paperclipping: When someone sporadically pops up to remind you of their existence, to prevent you from ever fully moving on.
Preating: Pre-cheating - laying the groundwork and putting out feelers for cheating, by sending flirty messages or getting closer to a work crush.
Prowling: Going hot and cold when it comes to expressing romantic interest.
R-bombing: Not responding to your messages but reading them all, so you see the 'delivered' and 'read' signs and feel like throwing your phone across the room.
Scroogeing: Dumping someone right before Christmas so you don't have to buy them a present.
Shadowing: Posing with a hot friend in all your dating app photos, knowing people will assume you're the attractive one and will be too polite to ask.
Shaveducking: Feeling deeply confused over whether you're really attracted to a person or if they just have great facial hair.
Sneating:When you go on dates just for a free meal.
Stashing: The act of hiding someone you're dating from your friends, family, and social media.
Submarineing: When someone ghosts, then suddenly returns and acts like nothing happened.
V-lationshipping:When someone you used to date reappears just around Valentine's Day, usually out of loneliness and desperation.
You-turning: Falling head over heels for someone, only to suddenly change your mind and dip.
Zombieing: Ghosting then returning from the dead. Different from submarineing because at least a zombie will acknowledge their distance.
Do you have a story you fancy sharing? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.
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source https://metro.co.uk/2020/02/26/thunberging-fresh-dating-trend-actually-isnt-terrible-12304787/
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