Baby, it’s cold outside. But the hearts of “sledgers” are even colder.
Although ‘tis the season to be jolly, hordes of young daters will be left feeling melancholy, owing to a “toxic” new dating trend — which audibly sounds like the fun pastime of “sledding,” but is not.
“Gen Z should look out for signs that they’re being ‘sledged,” Claire Rénier, a romance expert from dating app, Happn, warned to the DailyStar.
Sledging, a newly popular practice, prompts twenty-somethings to stay in dead-end relationships — or drag someone along, as if they were on a sled — through the holidays.
However, unbeknownst to their unsuspecting sweeties, the seemingly happy sledger is secretly planning to dump them within seconds of the ball drop come New Year’s Day.
“This can be toxic and a red flag,” said Rénier. “It plays with people’s emotions and fosters short-term satisfaction.”
It’s a snow job of the heart.
And sledgers are in it for themselves. Happn surveyed 600 daters, ranging in age from 18 to 25, to find that 15% of Zoomers regularly string along their seasonal significant others for sex, companionship or to avoid those pesky “Why are you still single?” questions from nosey family members during the holidays.
The researchers determined that 75% of sledgers make the decision to break up with their honey in November, while a shocking 25% plan to call it quits after Christmas as early as August.
“People shouldn’t be treated this way in what should be a loving and trusting relationship,” said Rénier, who suggests victims of sledging dust themselves off and try again.
“Young people should find more authentic connections with people with shared locations and hobbies,” she advised. “This way they can find partners that are genuinely interested in them, and sustain a relationship to last beyond just the winter.”
Here some of the top reasons why sledgers sledge.
- To have someone to have sex with (60%)
- To have someone to cuddle with when it’s cold (50%)
- To avoid feeling lonely in this magical time of year (40%)
- To avoid answering questions about being single (30%)
- To have someone to bring to Christmas and New Year’s parties (20%)
