‘Obligaswiping’ Is The Newest Dating Trend You’re Definitely Guilty Of Doing

Wow, there really is a name for everything in dating these days, isn’t there? On the bright side, maybe labeling our actions will make us more aware of the things we’re doing, because sometimes we get stuck in dating patterns without realizing what’s happening. Case in point: I’ve been ‘obligaswiping’ for years, and I honestly had no idea till someone decided to give it a name. In fact, you’ve probably done it, too.

That’s right, obligaswiping, like ghosting or submarining, is a new dating trend that’s probably ruining your love life. Except this time, you’re much more likely to be the one guilty of doing it.

Obligaswiping is basically exactly what it sounds like it is — swiping on a dating app because you feel obligated to. According to Cosmopolitan, people who obligaswipe only do so because they feel like they should be putting an effort into their dating lives, even though, once matched with someone on the app, they quickly lose interest or put little to no effort into meeting up.

So what’s the point of obligaswiping? Basically, it’s so people can prove they’re “putting themselves out there” even when honestly, they’re not. There are plenty of reasons people may obligaswipe — because they’re not actually interested in dating, because they’re more interested in meet cutes, because they’d like to believe they’re trying, because they’d rather blame someone else when asked why they’re single. Maybe it’s even because people hope they can put in as little work as possible but still get the best possible result — that is, a full blown relationship. The list goes on and on, but the point is this: obligaswiping is something most of us have done before, and there’s a big change you’re guilty of it, too.

So next time you’re binge-swiping through a dating app but refusing to answer anyones messages, think about why you’re doing it. There’s a good chance you’re just self-sabotaging your own love life.