A new dating trend called “seeding” has received some pushback on social media as people suggest it’s just a fancy way of manipulation and conditioning.
Dating trends on social media are not always completely logical, or even morally correct. Just recently we had the rise of dog-related boyfriend names and a version of “beer goggles” known as “office goggles.”
What is TikTok’s seeding?
The relationship term was brought to life by Will and Emil on their popular podcast, Far East Confessions. Will explained that the trend is essentially planting so-called seeds in the hopes they grow into something more substantial.
He explained: “Let’s say you find out that the guy really likes dogs. You plant a little seed or thought, saying, ‘Oh, I’ll send you a cute picture of a dog every time I see one’.
“So you planted that there already, now when you open the conversation, when you try to talk to them, send them a photo of a dog first and then it’s not awkward.”
He’ll be hoping for that message 🥰 #asianpodcast #whentheylikeyou #relationship #cuffingseason #dating
It doesn’t need to be dog pictures either, as the general idea is planting an easy-access route to further conversation. Using the hack could be as simple as promising to keep someone up to date about something they’re interested in.
The internet is divided by the ‘seeding’ dating trend
Though most of TikTok saw the logic behind the seeding process, some did say that it sounds like an updated form of gaslighting.
One person wrote: “That’s not seeding that’s conditioning.”
“So… classical conditioning?” a second person said, as a third suggested, “That’s not seeding, it’s auditioning lol.”
Some even admitted to unknowingly taking part in the trend, as one person confessed: “So I’ve been doing the seeding method in a wrong way but still manage to get him in my life.”
“I planted the seed in myself bc I asked for photos of HIS dog every day,” another person joked.
