Situationships: The dating status flirting with businesses

(NewsNation) — More and more people, particularly Gen-Zers, say they have been in a “situationship.” So much so, that with Valentine’s Day approaching, the maker of Sweethearts Candies issued boxes of “Situationship” hearts with blurry messages on them.

The term “situationships,” coined seven years ago in Cosmopolitan, has become not only mainstream but also a sought-after status among some dating app users, Axios reported.

A situationship is a contemporary take on “friends-with-benefits,” where physical involvement occurs without a clear definition of the relationship’s status.

Sweethearts Candies’ online-exclusive Situationship hearts sold out within minutes, prompting the company to issue a new batch, which also quickly disappeared from virtual shelves.

Beyond candies, other products paying homage to situationships have emerged, including a “Situationship brow duo” from J’Amie Lee Cosmetics, lingerie sets, and a scented candle from Oomu with a fragrance as elusive as the fleeting moments of a situationship.

The phenomenon has also permeated literature and entertainment, with a growing list of romance novels, rom-coms, and self-help books centered around situationships. However, opinions on the desirability of situationships vary, with some viewing them as fun, sexually satisfying, and liberating, while others see them as obstacles to more defined relationship goals.

“Situationship” was a finalist for the Oxford University Press’ 2023 “Word of the Year,” though it ultimately lost to “rizz.” The term “situationship” encapsulates the complexity of modern relationships, echoing the sentiment of the old Facebook “relationship status” option: “It’s complicated.”