It’s currently a tough time for the hopeless romantics; they may have even gotten a little more hopeless. While a lot of us want a rom com movie love story, we aren’t very likely to find it nowadays.  

Situationships are just as complicated as they sound. A lot of people these days would rather have something low maintenance than a fully committed relationship with someone they like. It is like a forever talking stage.  

Situationships are the in-between, the “not a talking stage but not official relationship.” The “we know each other but do we really want more?” 

A talking stage, the part where you’re learning more about the person. The beginning of what may become a relationship or situationship. When you learn more about each other and start talking more. The questionnaire, the “what’s your favorite color?” part.  

A situationship is like a free trial of what you could have in the relationship just without the commitment. It is the stress-free version for most. The “no labels” part of it all seems to have the most appeal. 

More people have been in situationships than relationships lately. What’s not to love? Well besides your partner who’s not your partner, of course. When you have everything, you need in a situationship you may find no reason to define it.  

Situationships have become the new norm; many more people are in situationships. Essentially leaving the gray area, instead of becoming official because of the commitment phobia (not knowing when to settle and worrying about the what if.) 

No expectations, no consistency, you may not even know when you’ll see them again. While in a relationship there is always some sort of consistency, calling every night, date nights once a week or constant communication. There is no future planning in a situationship – it is merely based on the now. 

Sometimes people stay in a situationship because one falls too hard, and the other one has not fallen quite hard enough. For example, the movie 500 Days of Summer Tom, a hopeless romantic and his “I’m not looking for anything serious” girlfriend. For Tom, it was love at first sight; for Summer on the other hand, it was a fun seasonal fling. 

A lot of situationships may be like this: one who gets used to them being around, doesn’t want to see them leave and the other just wants to have fun. Or sometimes both have no idea what they want and don’t want to get rejected. Situationships seem like a giant bubble of miscommunication. 

Relationships are more serious. There is a clear timeline; an anniversary to remember every month for the first year, talking about what your futures have in store.  

Most of all, the situationship comes with less heartbreak than an actual relationship. 

All the relationship things can be done without the “relationship” title: valentines, love letters, spending the day together. But does it bring the sense of security that an official relationship does?