'Masterdating' is the new trend taking over the internet – but what is it?

It's becoming increasingly difficult to keep up with dating trends taking over the online sphere. We've had ghosting, love-bombing, breadcrumbing and phubbing, along with a host of other widespread terms on social media. But now, there's a less toxic trend singletons can get on board with, and it's called 'masterdating'. Masterdating is essentially dating yourself and is proving rather popular in 2023. It encourages you to treat yourself and take yourself out on solo dates and do all of the things stereotypically associated with having a significant other. In a chat with the New York Post, Amy Nobile, a holistic dating coach, said: "You’re teaching yourself about your own needs, requirements, the things that bring you joy. It’s about uncovering your own passions." Amy went on to encourage people to take advantage of the whole day and make it a frequent occurrence. "Send yourself flowers in the morning, send yourself a sweet note saying, ‘I can’t wait to see you tonight,’ schedule a fancy mode of transportation to get yourself to the date — make it a full day of love," she said. Now, as most of us well know, dating can be draining. But, one company came up with an innovative alternative to dating apps through a worldwide experiment. Earlier this year, the Pear Ring was first announced as a symbol to others that you're single and ready to mingle. "If 1.2 billion singles around the world wore a little green ring on their finger to show they’re single, we wouldn't need dating apps. IRL connection is the mission," the site read. Pear encourages singletons to wear the ring at all times. "In a bar, on a train, at the gym, on vacation, at your friend’s wedding, in a restaurant, walking to work. The world is your playground," they wrote. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.