Texting. Dating. Friends with benefits. Situationship…? Relationships have always been complicated and being asked “what are we” can get confusing. Relationship labeling can come in different forms: boyfriend/girlfriend, dating, talking. However, is your “relationship” actually a situationship?
Many people have different opinions on labeling relationships, but what defines a relationship in the first place? “A relationship can mean a lot of different things,” sophomore Sophie Macfarlane expresses, “but to me, it means that you both care for each other and have mutual respect for one another. Also being able to trust the other person is super important.”
Relationship labeling has been around for a long time, from “courtship” to “going steady”. However, a newer term has been commonly used to define many relationships: situationship.
“Situationship” is a newer relationship label that was introduced in 2017 by writer Carina Hsieh, defining it as a “hookup with emotional benefits, lacking any actual commitment.”
“Situationships can be a lot of different things, but usually it’s when they are in a talking stage and working towards dating, but there are complications. Usually, it’s just an awkward stage.” Macfarlane answers when asked her definition of a situationship. Freshman Ben Foss shares a similar opinion stating, “they either don’t know what to do or they’re struggling with their relationship.”
Situationships have been found to be a filler term when the relationship status is undecided. Although it is an easy way to avoid a possibly awkward conversation, it leaves the relationship with many unknown boundaries, resulting in a more complicated situation in the future. Being in a situationship, for the most part, sucks. Most people don’t want to be stuck in the odd “in-between” of a relationship that it brings. However, despite the many negative connotations, many teens have resorted to this label out of convenience.
As relationship labels continue to change, it’s important to know where your relationships stand. Otherwise, you might get left in an unwanted, awkward situationship, which no one really wants.
