‘Postcode’ is the latest dating trend

Another trend is once again making dating confusing.

There seems to be a constant stream of objectionable dating trends emerging as singles navigate today’s complex world of digital dating, and “zip code” appears to be the latest.

While this may sound self-explanatory when compared to popular trends like “shrekking” and “bio-baiting,” to provide some context, a zip code can mean one of two things.

Either that when singles swipe on dating apps, limiting their options to a certain mile radius to attract only potential suitors from a specific zip code — which may limit their options, but that definition doesn’t actually do anyone any harm.

Or card swipers can take this approach when they want to attract wealthy rivals who live in desirable neighborhoods.

However, it can get toxic when a zip code refers to people who exclusively date people who live nearby (the same town or even the same state), but when they go out of the area, they consider themselves single.

This is truly the definition of having your cake and eat it too.

It can be difficult to detect if your significant other is participating in this trend, but asking questions and having tough conversations can reveal whether their intentions are genuine or if they’re just dating you out of convenience.

While this trend may be disappointing, it’s not entirely surprising given that fewer young people are looking to settle down these days.

And those who are willing stand their ground and set firm boundaries—like not sleeping with someone until they’re in a committed relationship.

Mandana Zarghami and Kayla Caputo are two 29-year-old women who are both on their journey to celibacy, but not for the reasons you might think.

They’re just overly obsessed with dating apps and hookup culture, which they believe is ruining Gen Z and Millennials’ intimate relationships.

“Hookup culture doesn’t do women any good — it only benefits men,” Zalgami told The Washington Post.

“I’m not here to judge, but at the same time, [hooking up] When you do find the person you want to spend the rest of your life with, you lose that special, intimate moment you spent with them,” she added.

Caputo agrees.

“I feel like hookup culture has ruined dating because it almost feels like that’s the end goal. It’s like people are now trained to just ask you to go home with them — it’s so weird,” she admitted to the Washington Post, adding that sleeping with someone new to you “can cloud your judgment of how that person really feels.”