What’s All the Hype About ‘Situationships’ On Dating Sites? 8 Signs That You’re In One

In the era of casual dating, booty calls and no-strings-attached relationships, dating girls sometimes isn’t what it used to be. The rising popularity of the so-called “situationships” on dating sites is not surprising. Before we explore the topic of why men and women in Russia and all across the world choose “situationships” over relationships, let’s make sure that we’re on the same page about this phenomenon.

What is a ‘situationship’?

I get it. Many of you are probably on the verge of opening a new tab in your browser to Google the meaning of a “situationship.” If you’re still here and reading this, according to UrbanDictionary, a situationship is a “relationship that has no label on it, like a friendship but more than a friendship but not quite a relationship.”

In other words, a situationship is something between a friendship and romantic relationship between two people. This friendship-relationship hybrid involves a certain degree of feelings and emotional connection, but it’s not enough to qualify as a relationship.

If you’re dating girls casually, this is different. In a casual relationship, two complete or near strangers have sexual intimacy while never planning to intentionally see one another again. A situationship, on the other hand, can go on for weeks or months, and some people may feel as if they’re in a traditional, long-term romantic relationship while they’re not.

Are Russian women okay with being in a situationship?

Statistically speaking, the average Russian woman is very likely to agree to have a situationship simply because it doesn’t require her to be as emotionally invested into this whole “thing” as much as in a “normal” romantic relationship. Yes, there’s some emotional connection and responsibility between the two people in a situationship, but this label-less “relationship” offers the complete freedom and little to no expectation of it growing into something more significant (relationship, marriage, family, etc.).

Some of you might be thinking, “Why are Russian women okay with being in a situationship?” More often than not, a woman agrees to be part of a situationship after being dumped or getting divorced or being otherwise disappointed in her previous relationship(s). Being in a situationship is often part of a woman’s “transition period” between a breakup and a new long-term relationship.

As you may have guessed, situationships are not good for the long-term, which explains the name for this phenomenon (they are more of a situation than a relationship). Since traditional gender roles in Russia dictate that a woman needs to get married and start a family before she turns 30, a Russian girl in a situationship may eventually ask herself or her partner, “What are we even doing?”

8 signs that you’re in a situationship

While many people get into a situationship intentionally and purposefully, there are many of those who think they are in a relationship, when, in fact, they are in a situationship without realizing it. Here are some of the most tell-tale signs that you’re in a situationship:

1. You don’t go on dates anymore. If you and your Russian “girlfriend” have plenty of Russian beautiful sex, but you’re not going on dates anymore and your “significant other” doesn’t even mention you to her family or friends, it means that you’re probably in a situationship.
2. You’re not Instagram-official. If your “girlfriend” uploads lots of Russian girl selfie on her Instagram account but never photos of the two of you together, it may be because she doesn’t view you as her boyfriend, only her situationship partner.
3. You never talk about the future. In any normal relationship in Russian dating UK, the conversation about the future pops up at one point or another. But if it feels that any discussions about the future are taboo subjects, or your significant other avoids these discussions, it may be because she treats this “thing” as nothing more than a situationship.
4. You have feelings, but it’s not love. If you’ve developed an emotional connection but you cannot call it love, and you feel the same thing from your partner, it’s probably because you’re in a situationship.
5. You can date other people. If your partner made it clear or hinted in a chat online Russia that she’s okay if you date other women, and yet you continue “dating,” it’s probably because this isn’t a traditional and exclusive relationship.
6. You have never met her friends. Or, even if you did, she never actually called you her boyfriend in front of them. If that’s the case, it’s probably because you’re in a situationship.
7. She chooses to attend events without you. No matter how many times you tell yourself that she’s just not ready “yet” to take your relationship to a new level, you may want to consider having an honest conversation about whether your “girlfriend” sees this whole thing as a romantic relationship (in the same meaning that you see it).
8. There’s little to no communication when you’re not together. If you don’t talk or text much when she’s not around (other than when making plans for your next “date”), you’re most likely in a situationship.

We aren’t trying to say that situationships are a bad thing. All we’re trying to do is help you recognize signs that you’re in a situationship. If you’re in it, it’s up to you whether you’re comfortable being in that kind of “relationship” or whether you want something bigger and more exclusive. If it’s the latter, there’s no going around the “What are we even doing?” conversation.