There’s a lot of buzz about the dating trends of 2022, and everything will come across one way or the other. And if you’re in the dating pool, you may not be able to avoid them. But here’s the thing, not all dating trends are good dating trends. There are some bandwagons you’re better off never climbing.
Fast-forwarding gone wrong
In a nutshell, fast-forwarding means kicking up the speed in a relationship. While as a concept, it seems like a great idea if you’re looking for commitment, i.e. you find the right person, your interests and values align, and bam, you’ve found “the one”. In reality, there are no shortcuts to long-lasting relationships that are truly stable. This is one of the least helpful dating trends 2022 because while it pushes the idea of a whirlwind romance, it doesn’t feel rooted in reality.
Hardballing a flat ball
Introduced in 2021, this is a dating trend that has continued to make its presence known in 2022 as well. Once again, at a glance, it feels like the right idea. Hardballing consists of being absolutely, and abundantly, clear about what you’re looking for in a partner from the get-go. This trend is picking up speed at the same time as trends such as future faking (read more here). So while you’re being super honest about what you’re looking for in a partner, your date may just be nodding along as they love bomb you. It isn’t enough to show up with a list of what works and what doesn’t, you need to do some serious reflection of a potential partner’s actions and words before you take a deeper plunge.
Feral Girl Summer problems
Sold as the antithesis to the Hot Girl Summer trend, this one tells women to just let themselves go (more here). It takes a step off the ledge labelled “Selfcare” and falls into an abyss, so to speak. Feral Girl Summer is one of the dating trends 2022 that we wouldn’t want anyone to wholeheartedly participate in, because it comes with hygiene issues and an exaggerated lack of care about what people think. While in theory, not caring about what the world thinks is a great idea, if it ends up resulting in you looking dishevelled and homeless, it may be bordering on chaos gone wrong.
Power PDA-ing
Suck on your partner’s mouth in public? Check. Feel up your partner in areas that no one else is permitted to touch? Check. We could probably make a super long list, but you get the idea.
Except that this is one of the dating trends 2022 that doesn’t consider the comfort – or even consent – of those around you. After the pandemic, a lot of people seem to have gotten more comfortable with showing exaggerated forms of affection to their partners. However, this in no way implies that the rest of the world wants to be their audience. Typically, if you put up your love or affection for display, you stop doing it for your partner and end up doing it for the reactions you get – and that itself will hurt you rather than help you in the long run.
This is not to say that these dating trends 2022 are toxic period, they can be (and are) good for some people. But you need to do a little more thinking than just buying into the hype.