'Avalanching' is the worrying new dating term causing people distress close to Valentine's Day

With Valentine’s Day approaching, singletons are knee-deep into cuffing season. And with that comes all kinds of dating practices.

From the sinister ‘penny method’ to the dark ‘breadcrumbing’, it’s rough out there lads.

And there’s another worrying new dating term to throw into the mix, ‘avalanching’.

While it seems fitting for the freezing cold weather, it can be a nightmare for daters.

According to a survey by FindingTheOne.com, a new dating app focusing on real-life meets, a mega 79 percent of singletons admit to swiping right more in January in search of a Valentine as they fear being alone on 14 February.

And nearly half of singles say their non-negotiables go out the window when trying to find a match in January.

But what is ‘avalanching’ and how exactly does it fall into this?

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Well, dating expert Sylvia Linzalone says it’s basically this chaotic surge in dating app usage as people scramble to search for love.

She warns that the rush to find a match in time for the big lovey-dovey day could actually be counterproductive as singles may fall victim to ‘avalanching’.

The expert explains: “The spike in January swiping is a natural response to societal expectations and the desire for companionship during a season focused on love. Being single on Valentine’s Day can be quite a disheartening time for some, especially if you’re surrounded by loved up friends who are eagerly making plans for fancy dinners and romantic getaways.”

However, Linzalone says that this rush to find love may have some darker consequences as singles become affected by ‘avalanching’.

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“People will be buried under a massive amount of new messages and interactions on dating apps this month, and that could lead to singles feeling overwhelmed and under pressure, as the sudden surge of attention hits,” she explains.

Singleton Fran from Colchester - who took part in the survey - adds: “I hate being alone on Valentine’s Day.

“I’ve made it my mission to find someone by 14 February, so I’m going on out with my search on various dating apps – I’ve updated my photos and bio to make sure I stand out among the crowd, and I’m admittedly swiping right on people that I probably wouldn’t have a few months ago. Desperate times call for desperate measures.”

And it’s not just those on the receiving end who are affected but also those doing the ‘avalanching’, Linzalone says.

“There’s the additional risk of feeling disappointed if those extra efforts that people put into finding a date for Valentine's Day don’t come to fruition.”

To avoid getting caught up in this chaos, the expert says we need to ‘embrace intentional dating’.

Linzalone advises focusing on ‘real life meets’ to make a change in your love life this year.