Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock Images
Topics: Sex and Relationships
Gerrard Kaonga
Navigating the dating world can be difficult at times, but some experts have warned people are trapping themselves in this loop of anxiety without even knowing it.
Every other person claims to have the perfect dating advice, and loves to make it out that it's the easiest thing in the world.
And for some people it can be, but for others, not so much.
Whether it's due to bad choices or bad luck, the wild world of dating is anything but straightforward.
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But it seems the new dating buzzword has dropped, and people might be doing it without knowing.
The term is 'carouselling', and needs a little bit of an explanation, because it has absolutely nothing to do with carousels.
The trend, according to dating experts, is fuelling anxiety among single people, and needs to be looked out for regardless of whether you meet people through social media, dating apps, or in real life.
The term describes the phenomenon where singletons find themselves in the never-ending cycle of messaging, which heightens first-date nerves when finally meeting face-to-face.
According to a Mirror report, research from new dating app FindingTheOne.com, which focuses on real-life meets, has found that 77 percent of daters feel more anxious the longer the conversations go on for before meeting up in real life for the first time.
And admittedly, we all might be a little guilty of this; really trying to find out more about the problem from the comfort of our phone rather than in person, building them up too much, or getting the wrong impression of them ahead of a meeting, ultimately setting yourself up for failure.
Sylvia Linzalone, the app's dating expert, has explained the phenomenon.
She said: "The longer they stay on the messaging carousel, the more daunting the idea of the meeting becomes, and it's fueling unnecessary anxiety.
“Meeting sooner means less pressure and less anxiety. It lets you see if there's a real connection in the real world, where it actually matters,"
Finding The One conducted a study and found that 83 percent out o 1,500 said they'd prefer to meet in person within a week of matching, but often 'feel pressured to continue messaging'.
Meanwhile, it found many are hesitant to suggest meeting up too quickly, as they're worried they'll seem 'too eager' or 'pushy'.
Either way, its probably best to simply go about dating in the way that works best for you, anxiety-free.