As the nights draw in, so does cuffing season – the time of year where single people couple up with short-term partners for cosiness and comfort to get through the colder and lonelier months of the year.
But, if you’re on the lookout for love (even if it’s just to pass the time) be warned, there’s yet another toxic dating trend you need to be wary of – and you may have fallen victim to it already.
Dubbed ‘sledging’, the trend sees daters deliberately drawing out seeing someone they’re not that interested in, or choosing to purposely delay a breakup for months, in order to avoid being alone over the festive period.
And don’t be fooled, it’s not just some buzzword – according to new research by dating app happn, over one in ten (15%) of single 18-25 year olds have kept dating the same person over the festive period, even though they didn’t really like them, with the intention to break things off after the season.
Even when they’ve been in a relationship, a further 15% of those surveyed have wanted to break up with their partner for a while, but waited to do so until after Christmas and New Year.
And it gets even more brutal – three quarters of these people (75%) made the decision to split in November, but delayed it until after the New Year to avoid being alone over the ‘most wonderful time of year’.
Worryingly, a quarter (25%) have even decided that they wanted to end things with their significant other as early as August but then ‘sledged’ their partner for months during the winter. Woof.
Why they chose to delay the break-up? Buckle up:
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To have someone to have sex with (60%)
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To have someone to cuddle with when it’s cold (50%)
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To avoid feeling lonely in this magical time of year (40%)
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To avoid answering questions about being single (30%)
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To have someone to bring to Christmas and New Year’s parties (20%)
So, how can we avoid being sledged?
Well according to Claire Renier, Dating Expert at happn, there are signs to look out for: “Are they only talking about the short-term plans for over Christmas, rather than seeing each other beyond, or not showing as much interest, but only wanting to have sex and physical affection?
“Open and honest conversations about where the relationship is heading, and whether an end is in sight is important to avoid being a victim of ‘sledging’ – though it should be noted that if singles are up front and honest with one another about their intentions to let the relationship run until after the holidays, before ending it, then that is perfectly acceptable too.”
