Dating trends that make boomers want to swipe left on modern romance.
Dating has always been a rollercoaster, but modern romance comes with a whole new set of rules—and boomers are absolutely baffled. Gone are the days of straightforward courtship, phone calls, and dinner dates. Instead, younger generations navigate a world of ghosting, breadcrumbing, and “situationships” that seem more like psychological warfare than romance.
Whether it’s the rise of dating apps or the decline of clear communication, here are some modern dating tactics that make boomers want to throw their hands up and say, “What happened to just asking someone out?”
1. Ghosting makes breakups easier—but way more brutal.
Back in the day, if you wanted to end a relationship, you had to actually say something. But today, many people just vanish—no explanation, no goodbye, nothing. Ghosting is the modern art of disappearing from someone’s life instead of having an uncomfortable conversation.
Boomers, who were raised with face-to-face interactions and phone calls, find this level of avoidance downright cruel. To them, even a breakup over the phone would be more respectable than simply vanishing into thin air.
2. Haunting keeps exes lurking from the shadows.
Haunting is the unsettling practice of watching someone’s social media—liking posts, viewing stories, but never actually reaching out. It’s ghosting’s creepy cousin, leaving the other person wondering, “Why are they still watching me?”
Boomers don’t understand why people would stalk an ex’s life instead of just moving on, according to Cosmopolitan. In their day, once a relationship ended, you either stayed in touch or you didn’t—there was no “silent monitoring” from a distance.
3. Breadcrumbing strings people along with false hope.
Some people don’t fully ghost—they just leave little digital crumbs to keep someone interested. A like here, a vague text there—just enough to make the other person think they might still have a chance, even when they don’t.
Boomers, who value direct communication, see breadcrumbing as a manipulative and cowardly way to keep people on the hook. If you’re not interested, why not just say so?
4. Situationships blur the line between dating and… nothing.
Boomers had dating, engagements, and marriages. Today’s daters? They have “situationships”—the undefined, no-label, casual relationships that feel like dating but never officially are.
For boomers, the idea of spending months or years with someone without a clear commitment is mind-boggling. They grew up in a time when “Where is this going?” was a normal question—not one that sent someone running for the hills.
5. Soft-launching a partner feels like a marketing campaign.
Instead of just introducing a new boyfriend or girlfriend, people now “soft-launch” their relationships on social media—posting vague pictures of a hand at dinner or a blurry figure in the background to tease their audience before the “official reveal.”
Boomers, who used to simply say “This is my boyfriend/girlfriend,” find this ridiculous. Why does announcing a relationship feel like a brand strategy?
6. Dating app fatigue turns romance into a numbers game.
Online dating has become exhausting, with endless swiping, chatting, and ghosting cycles. Many people complain about “dating app fatigue,” where they burn out from trying to find something real in an ocean of superficial interactions.
Boomers, who met people through mutual friends, work, or simply walking up and starting a conversation, can’t believe dating has become as tedious as scrolling through a streaming service looking for something to watch.
7. Benching keeps backup partners on the sidelines.
Some daters keep multiple people “benched”—not quite dating them, but keeping them as an option just in case their first choice doesn’t work out. It’s like emotional stringing-along, but with sports terminology.
Boomers, who were raised to actually commit to one person at a time, see this as incredibly disrespectful. If you’re dating someone, why are you keeping a bench full of backups?
8. Slow-fading is the passive-aggressive way to end things.
Instead of just breaking up, some people choose the slow-fade: responding less and less, making fewer plans, and gradually letting things fizzle out until the other person takes the hint.
Boomers, who were raised on clear communication, think this is just as bad as ghosting. If you’re done with someone, why not just tell them?
9. Cuffing season turns relationships into seasonal events.
Dating isn’t just about connection anymore—it’s about timing. “Cuffing season” refers to the trend of finding a partner just for the winter months to avoid being alone during the holidays, only to break up in the spring.
Boomers are used to relationships that last through all seasons, not just the cold ones. The idea of picking a partner based on the time of year feels more like holiday planning than actual romance.
10. Paperclipping makes exes pop up when you least expect it.
Named after the Microsoft Clippy assistant that used to pop up uninvited, paperclipping is when an ex resurfaces randomly after months of silence—just to check in, flirt, or remind you they exist. There’s no real intention to rekindle things, just enough interaction to stay in your mind.
Boomers find this tactic infuriating. If you broke up, why are you reaching out months later with a “Hey, how’ve you been?” with no follow-up? Either you want to reconnect, or you don’t—why the middle ground?
11. Love bombing makes things feel perfect—until they’re not.
At first, love bombing seems like a dream come true—grand gestures, constant compliments, fast-moving romance. But it’s often a manipulation tactic where someone showers affection early on, only to pull away or become controlling later.
Boomers believe relationships should develop naturally, not at a breakneck speed. To them, the idea of rushing into deep emotional intimacy too soon is a red flag, not a romantic fairytale.