When it comes to dating, there’s a rather famous but dangerous pattern that some people follow—they run away from people who are interested to keep them wanting more. This technique has been around for ages, but it now has an official name: cricketing.
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What is cricketing?
Keeping up with all the latest trends in the online dating world are not always easy to understand but this one is rather simple. Just think of all the times you’ve heard crickets chirping the background of your favourite movie, or when you’re out for a walk—it’s when you hear nothing else but pin drop silence.
Well, apply this to your dating life. If someone sends you a message and you choose not to respond, there’s silence from your end of the interaction—hence the crickets. On the other side of the line, your silence has the other person even more intrigued and anxious and some folks use this enticing game to keep their potential mates hooked.
When you translate cricketing into a dating app, it basically means you’re seeing the message, and leaving it on ‘read’ without answering back. It could also be rejecting a call or pretending to be unavailable for an appointment.
Why is this worrying?
The problem with this technique is that it creates an unhealthy line of communication. Did it take your crush an hour to reply? You’ll take two to get even—and the vicious cycle continues.
If you’ve noticed that you’re being cricketed, here’s one way to break the cycle. Compensate for the lack of communication by actually communicating. Respond to their messages as soon as you can and see if they get better at texting you in a timely manner. If not, you can always have an open conversation about their way of communicating.
Honesty is the best policy, especially when it comes to making connections in the dating world.
