It’s no secret that connections can open doors. Well, the same applies to romantic connections, and a new dating trend seems to be taking that advice and running with it.
“Throning” describes the practice of dating someone less for love and more for the social status they bring to the relationship. Think Kim Kardashian and Kanye West or Industry’s Yasmin and Henry: Throning is essentially about boosting one’s reputation through association.
According to the dating app Plenty of Fish, nearly 30% of singles admit to throning to climb the social hierarchy. While hypergamy, the practice of dating or marrying someone of a higher social status than oneself, has shaped relationships for centuries, throning is not just about net worth but about leveraging a partner’s network and influence in today’s branding-obsessed world.
Per se, there’s nothing wrong with wanting to expand your social circles through your romantic connections (after all, the idea of dating for love is a relatively new concept in the grand scheme of history). But issues arise in modern dating when the motivation to date someone is driven solely by social aspirations, rather than romantic interest or attraction. A study in Science Advances found that dating app users aim for matches about 25% “more desirable” than themselves, a modern spin on the age-old ambition to “date up.” Perhaps that plays a part in why nearly half of all online daters and more than half of female daters say their experiences have been negative on the apps, according to Pew research .
In today’s social media driven world it is easier than ever to gauge someone’s social standing through their posts and follower counts. Clout, in this context, has become the new currency, with “clout chaser” used to describe those seeking fame by association. In a world where followers are status symbols, relationships are another avenue for self-branding.
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