Let’s get this straight; if you are guilty of cushioning, you shouldn’t be dating and you suck. Millennial men and women, you have mastered the art of ghosting and breadcrumbing and now, there is a new dating term out there: cushioning. We all know ghosting someone is disappearing from someone’s life without explanation, and breadcrumbing is essentially leading someone on; both really shitty things to do to someone. Now the latest dating term is cushioning. Similar to breadcrumbing, it’s a non-committal dating strategy that not only leads someone on, but keeps several people on your radar.
Cushioning, like all the other dating strategies, is pretty fucked up. Keeping over one person in the picture, simply through text messaging or other means of communication, usually Instagram, is low. Dating is one thing but intentionally keeping prospects around in case one “relationship” doesn’t work out is a bit out of control. While it might sound a lot like casual fun dating, the determining factor is your intent in case a relationship doesn’t work out. That sounds a bit like a Taylor Swift action; going from prospect to prospect for self-gratification in case you god forbid, end up alone temporarily.
Another fucked up thing about cushioning, is that you could be seriously dating someone, or in a relationship, for this to take part. You keep several “cushions” around. You flirt, text or even “hang out” with these other people who aren’t apart of your main relationship. Several girls and guys have blatantly, yet truthfully, opening up about keeping the occasional person around to flirt with. Cushioning is just another example of how people are scared of getting hurt or ending up alone. Cushioning prevents you from experiencing the full pain that comes with a breakup. You’ve got someone in the back of your mind you know you could turn to if anything goes south. Do yourself a favor, if you find yourself committing this dating act, call the relationship quits. Karma’s gonna get you.
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