What is the Throning dating trend? Inside Gen-Z's latest toxic social media practice

A new dating trend called throning is currently grabbing a lot of attention on social media. It is a part of other popular terms that have been creating headlines for the last few months, including shrekking, which was frequently used in August this year.

According to USA Today, throning refers to a situation where an individual dates someone to bring a change in their social status. It basically aims to boost a person’s reputation. Notably, the term has also become famous, as there are individuals who are opting to date a person to get more followers on different platforms.

LGBTQ+ associate therapist at Gateway to Solutions, Jamie Downie, opened up on the concept behind the term while speaking to Pride magazine, saying that it originates from an idea of giving no focus on love and keeping the partner “on a throne.”

Furthermore, trans activist Dylan Thomas Cotter also appeared for an interview with Pride magazine, claiming that the dating term became well-known on social media around two years ago. Cotter stated that individuals who were aiming to increase their followers contributed to the popularity of throning and added:

“Various cultural critics have observed that while the term is relatively new, the practice is not: alliances, marriage, and interpersonal relationships have been used as vehicles for social and strategic ends (particularly by elites) for a very long time, well before the internet era.”

Cotter even opened up on the possibility of the trend impacting the LGBTQ+ in any manner, saying that there are few chances. However, he advised everyone to be careful while proceeding in any form of relationship, specifically if they have doubts about being throned.

Experts open up on the circumstances that seemingly leads to the situation of throning

While the new dating term is slowly becoming more famous, a TikTok user addressed a direct situation that can indicate throning, saying that it is expected to happen when someone is focusing more on the status or social circle of their partner, leading to a change in the opposite side’s behavior.

During his latest conversation with Pride magazine, Jamie Downie said that there are people who will decide to date, aiming to get validation for certain things. Downie even described anyone who is involved in throning as “selfish”, considering that they decide to date anyone aiming to raise their social status. Jamie also referred to the possible circumstances that could lead to throning, as he stated:

“There are self-centered qualities behind this practice, as partners are seen more as accessories instead of individuals. It can impact the relationship because it is less about deep, long-lasting, vulnerable connections and instead about optics.”

On the other hand, Dylan Thomas Cotter told Pride magazine that certain people might decide to date someone if they believe that it can help them in their career, specifically after becoming successful at one point.

Cotter said that there are certain signs of throning, including that someone shares more solo pictures of their partner or is aiming to make the relationship official as soon as possible. Dylan claimed that insecurity can also create the situation and explained it by saying:

“Some may do this because they fear being replaced or overlooked, another could be that there’s social pressure in society to have a ‘trophy partner.’ No matter the angle you look at this, it’s not about love it’s about outside perception of importance.”

Meanwhile, Cotter even shared some advice if someone believes that they are being throned, saying that they should check the reactions by reducing “public exposure.” He added that people should also have an open discussion with their partner before opting for a separation.