How has the uprise in ‘situationships’ affected traditional Valentine’s Day?
What Even Are Situationships?
Alongside the up-and-coming Gen Z language comes the rise in new relationship-defining terminology. The term situationship reflects the ideas of an ‘undefined’ relationship that lacks commitment and labels. Much like a situationship, the word itself is hard to define and can look different for every couple. In short, situationships are the gray area of the dating world, with no guarantee of a future together.
Are ‘Situationships’ a Bad Thing?
There is often a negative connotation surrounding the word ‘situationship’. This stems from the idea that there will always be one party who is more committed than the other, as well as the fact that people believe leaving a relationship unlabelled will prevent a messy breakup; however, the truth is that ‘situationships’ have just as high of a likelihood of ending up in a messy breakup as well defined relationships, particularly given the lack of clear communication and potentially confusing feelings.
What does this mean for Valentine’s Day Plans
With the introduction of this new kind of relationship, we also see a change in how Valentine’s Day is celebrated. Past generations have had more of an all-or-nothing approach to relationships – on Valentine’s Day, you were either in a relationship or single. However, these days, there seems to be a wider spectrum of relationships, so by the time the big day rolls around, more and more people are confused about where they stand. Situationships during Valentine’s Day create nothing but problems: do you plan to see the person or avoid them entirely for the day? The ambiguity of situationships becomes clear when a day like Valentine’s Day presents itself.
Modern Day Valentine’s
Despite Valentine’s Day’s original intention as a celebration of romantic love, it has since evolved to mean so much more. Today, it is completely reasonable to celebrate all forms of love on Valentine’s Day, so much so that it has expanded to include amicable love, now commonly referred to as ‘Galentine’s Day’, which celebrates the friendships between women. Given the ever-changing meaning and significance of Valentine’s Day, it is not difficult to imagine that the ‘situationship’ may one day be included under its umbrella of celebratory relationships.