Are You “Relation-Shopping”? The Dating Trend That May Be Draining Your Energy
- Wednesday, August 05 2026 @ 08:34 am
- Contributed by: Lisa
- Views: 10
Have you ever spent 20 minutes comparing two dating profiles, only to close the app feeling more confused than when you started? If so, you are not alone. A growing conversation in the dating world suggests that many singles are not just dating anymore, they are “relation-shopping.”
The term describes a mindset where potential partners are evaluated the way consumers evaluate products: compare the features, check for flaws, keep browsing, and avoid committing too quickly. An article recently highlighted by AOL argues that this pattern may help explain why so many people feel exhausted by modern dating apps.
At first glance, having more options seems like a good thing. Dating apps give you access to people you might never meet otherwise. But psychologists have long warned about the “paradox of choice”: when options become nearly endless, satisfaction often decreases instead of increasing. Rather than feeling hopeful, many users feel overwhelmed, constantly wondering whether someone better is one swipe away.





