Dating ambivalently is more dangerous than it sounds.
Maressa Brown is a journalist and astrologer who’s a regular lifestyle contributor and resident astrologer for InStyle. She has nearly two decades of professional experience writing, reporting, and editing lifestyle content for a variety of digital and print consumer-facing publications including Parents, Shape, Astrology, and more. She is currently based in Los Angeles and completing her first title with Artisan Books to be published in early 2023.
From inadvertently finding yourself in a situationship to being love-bombed or experiencing FODA (aka fear of dating again), there’s a bevy of ways that a well-meaning foray into the dating world can go sideways. Now, dating experts are pointing to a new 2022 trend that’s more pervasive than you might realize: hesidating.
Coined by dating site Plenty of Fish, the trend is, unsurprisingly, a downstream effect of the pandemic and the perpetual feeling that life is so uncertain at the moment. “From socially distant walks to video chats, to finally, meeting IRL for the first time, for many singles, dating can be a lot and the idea of getting into a relationship feels even more overwhelming,” Kate MacLean, resident dating expert at Plenty of Fish, tells InStyle.
In fact, MacLean says that POF’s findings show 70% of singles are unsure about their relationship status and whether they want something serious or more casual. In other words, they’re hesidating. Ahead, experts break down what the term really means and how to contend with it, whether you’ve matched with someone who’s hesidating – or you’re doing it yourself.