If you're preparing to embark on your 2024 'hot girl summer', there's a brand new dating term which experts say singletons need to clue themselves up on - 'benching'.
And apparently, it'll make 'ghosting' look like a dream.
Advert
Romance gurus are always coming up with new definitions of the certain stages of relationships.
In the last week alone, professional daters have been swearing by new '777 rule' that’s a game changer' for relationships, while the 'Ben stage' has been branded the popular dating phase everyone wants to avoid.
And when it comes to latest updates in the bedroom department, a new trend known as 'shallowing' seems to be trending on social media, which is said to help couples out big time, and others are encouraging 'pebbling' your partner if you’re not already.
As we say, however, in a world where the dating game seems to shift and adjust week in week out, it's no surprise that we're already onto another one.
Advert
And unlike many cases - where it can be pretty hard to determine what exactly the new turn of phrase means - this one is pretty simple.
It turns out that 'benching' describes the feeling you get when you're someone else's plan B.
Basically, your love interest will keep asking you on dates, sporadically texting you and like your Instagram pics, but just won't make you his priority for some reason.
Advert
And whilst you can spend all the time in the world trying to figure out why it is that they don't seem to like you as much as you like them, it might just be a case of you being on the subs bench.
One day, you might be taken off and given your shot to win them over, but in most cases, if you've spent anytime on the backseat, it can apparently be quite hard to get yourself off it again.
If you're suspect you might be being benched by your current situationship, fret not.
Because there are actually several signs you can look out for, which will determine whether or not you need to get yourself outta there, girl.
Advert
Limited availability
Do you find they only text you throughout the night? Or too sporadically to maintain a proper serious conversation? Or maybe they're only free to take you out on really certain nights a week?
Well, before you start defending him for his football training plans, there's a pretty vital saying you could apply here - 'If they want to, they will'.
Inconsistency
If your intended other-half just can't seem to decide where they stand with you, and seem to blow from hot to cold on a daily basis, it may very well be that they're attempting to weigh up their conflicting feelings about you.
One-sided interactions
Do you have a sneaky feeling you're putting in more effort than your potential bae? Are you sending the majority of the 'good morning' texts? Planning the majority of the dates? Yeah...
They're honest with you
If they let you know that there's another option they're considering, then you're likely being benched. But hey, at least you're fully in the know...
Intuition
A lot of the time, when it comes to dating, your gut tells you everything you need to know...
Topics: Sex and Relationships, Real Life
Rhianna Benson