What on Earth Is Flirtationship? Your Guide to The New Dating Trend 

If you’re struggling to keep up with the ever-changing dating landscape and its numerous new terminologies, don’t worry, you’re not alone! The Once team is here to your rescue. In today’s article, we are going to explore the fascinating world of flirtationship – the hottest, and a very much questionable dating trend that’s all over social media lately. 

What is a flirtationship?

The meaning behind the new dating trend is pretty simple – a flirtationship is a casual and very flirty relationship dynamic between two people. You’ve probably seen this in the office or in your friend group. Two adults are obviously flirting with one another all the time but in a chill way, without crossing the line and taking it anywhere. 

Flirtationships, by definition, are based on cheeky conversations and flirtatious remarks. They’re not sexual or romantic, whereby there are no dates, kisses, or hooking up.

Situationship vs flirtationship

In situationships, people act like they are in a proper relationship, but there’s a lot of ambiguity, and any sort of conversation about the future together “kills the mood”. In a situationship, it’s common for one person to want more, and the other to be perfectly happy with their casual dating and sex life. An example of a situationship would be when a couple spends the entire weekend together, doing everything other couples do, but then the guy doesn’t call or text for a week, until finally messaging the girl to come over tonight. 

A flirtationship is very different. There’s less maliciousness about it, and the two people are simply flirting, they’re not having sex or hanging out alone all the time. There’s less drama because there’s no faking being a couple and pretending you’re not one at the same time.  

Is your current relationship a flirtationship? The signs  

Flirtationships are a bit confusing by nature. First of all, how do you know that someone is really flirting with you? Sometimes it’s obvious, but very often we can’t tell for sure if the individual is flirting because they’re interested in us and likes us, or if that’s just how they communicate with people in their life in general. 

If you’re stuck and not sure whether you’re in a flirtationship, here are the signs to help you get it straight:

• Constant flirting. It’s one thing if the other person is flirty once or twice, but if you’re getting these playful and teasing vibes from them every single time you’re talking in a dating chat or in real life, then there’s probably something to it. 
• They flirt with others too. A flirtationship is not really an exclusive deal, and both people can flirt with others around them, and even form romantic relationships. 
• It’s casual. There’s no pressure or expectations that you’d expect from a standard relationship. It’s all light-hearted and fun. 
• There’s a lot of ambiguity. It’s normal for people in a flirtationship to be confused. You get mixed signals and messages, there’s this constant uncertainty about where you guys stand. Bonus points if people around you are confused too. 
• You never go on dates, kiss, or talk about the future together. You clearly like them, they like you, but there’s only talk and no action, no matter how long or how intensely you flirt. 

Is flirtationship good or bad? 

Flirtationship doesn’t sound too bad at first glance, right? But is it actually good? Let’s find out. 

Pros of a flirtationship 

There are good things about a flirtationship, for sure:

• It’s a lot of fun and you don’t have to make it something bigger. Sometimes it’s nice to just flirt with someone, especially if you’ve just broken up with someone or started dating after a divorce. 
• It gives you both the time to think about the potential of your relationship. You can get to know the other person a bit better before you kiss or have sex, so it’s easier to end things if you realize they’re not a perfect match. 
• It helps your self-esteem because you feel attractive and wanted by someone, so it’s helping you feel good about yourself. 

Cons of a flirtationship 

Flirtationships have their cons too: 

• It can be cheating if one of the flirty individuals is in an exclusive relationship with someone else. 
• You can get hurt if you start to develop real feelings and the other party does not. 
• It’s frustrating at times because you want to take the next step, and they’re continuing to goof around. 

Is flirtationship for you?  

Flirtationship is a big thing in the modern world of dating online. You match with several people and get to flirt with one or all of them, have fun, and feel alive. It can work for some time, and be the first step in your slow dating game or just bring you temporary bliss and then fade away.

In some cases though, a flirtationship is less than ideal. The person you’re flirting with might be simultaneously in a relationship with someone else. So besides this being an ethical issue, this arrangement can also hurt your mental health and self-image. Also, if you’re looking for a long-term partner and mindful dating, a flirtationship won’t be able to meet your needs. 

So, take the time to think whether or not a flirtationship matches your dating goals and expectations, and use it as your guide to whether or not this dating format is for you. 

How to end a flirtationship 

Flirtationships are not permanent. They either fade away, or they become something bigger. If you are tired of this dynamic and want to end it right here and right now, take these simple steps:

1. Stop flirting with them actively, and don’t flirt back.
2. Bring up your dating goals, such as getting serious with the new person you meet. 
3. Just tell them you’d like to stop, and that it’s no longer interesting for you. 

How to turn a flirtationship into a relationship

 Tired of endless flirting and want to turn it into something bigger? Follow these steps: 

1. Sit down and think about what you want from this person you’re flirting with. Are you interested in a causal relationship? An exclusive and serious one? Would you like to start a family? It’s important to understand all that before you move to the next steps.
2. Have an honest and open conversation with your crush. Tell them about your feelings, open up about what you want, and share your expectations. Encourage them to share their thoughts too. 
3. If they agree to try something more serious, do it, but take it slow. Go out together, and chat more about serious topics or something that’s important for you, like career, hobbies, charity work, etc. You don’t have to turn boyfriend and girlfriend overnight. It’s perfectly fine to learn more about each other first. 
4. Be patient. If you’re initiating this transition to a relationship, the other person might be a bit overwhelmed. Don’t rush things, and let them take the pace that’s comfortable for them. 
5. Respect their response. It is possible that you suggest a relationship and hear No as an answer. As much as it hurts, you can’t make someone want you. If that happens, accept their response and don’t try to manipulate them into changing their mind. 

Finally, good luck! Let’s hope your flirtationship turns into something big and beautiful!