Meet throning, the dating trend that's turning relationships into status symbols

It often begins like a fairytale. Someone meets you and instantly turns you into their personal highlight reel. They rave about you to their friends, repost your selfies, hype your achievements like they’re your unofficial manager, and make you feel like the most fascinating person in every room. For a while, the spotlight feels flattering—almost addictive. Who wouldn’t enjoy being admired so loudly?

But then the glow starts to flicker. You notice they love your image more than your inner world. They show up when there’s an audience, but fade when it’s just you. They adore the version of you that photographs well, not the one who has bad days, messy moments, or needs actual emotional connection. Slowly, you realise something uncomfortable: you’re not a partner—you’re a prop.

And the dating world finally has a name for this shiny, status-driven dynamic everyone is whispering about right now: throning.

What throning really means

Throning is when someone dates you mainly because being with you boosts their status. They see you as an upgrade—a way to signal to the world that they’re doing well. You become the impressive job title, the “look who I pulled” flex. It’s romance filtered through self-promotion, where you’re less a person and more a trophy.

This kind of admiration feels intoxicating at first, because honestly, who doesn’t like being praised? But the wise one knows it’s admiration without depth. They’re not curious about your inner world, your fears, or your life goals. They’re curious about how your presence enhances their storyline and how relevant you are in their social circle. You become their accessory, not their equal.

How throning shows up in dating

Throning often begins with intense flattery. They spotlight you everywhere, make a spectacle of your success, and seem to worship your every move. But when the lights dim, the emotional connection disappears. The conversations remain surface-level, the intimacy feels shallow, and your emotional needs quietly fade into the background. It becomes increasingly clear that they’re more invested in the idea of you than the reality of you.

This dynamic shows up even more clearly with celebrities, who deal with throning on an entirely different scale. Dating someone famous is the ultimate social flex—people chase the label, not the love. Being seen with a celebrity instantly boosts clout, making them magnets for partners seeking bragging rights or proximity to fame.

Why throning happens today

We live in a time where relationships have become part of people’s online identity. Who you date says something about you—or at least, that’s what the internet has convinced us. So some people chase partners who make them look successful, cultured, or interesting. It’s easier to date someone impressive than to become impressive yourself.

Throning also thrives because many people use relationships as a shortcut to confidence. Being with someone who shines lets them bask in the reflection, giving them the illusion of shining too. It’s a quick way to feel important without doing the work of genuine self-growth.

The emotional fallout of being throned

The most painful part of being throned is the gap between how loved you feel publicly and how unseen you feel privately. You start questioning your worth, wondering why the affection evaporates the moment the applause ends. It creates a loneliness that’s hard to explain because technically, yes, you are being adored—just not in the way that matters.

Over time, you may find yourself performing the version of you that they prefer. Dressing a little nicer, being a little shinier, always staying “on.” It becomes exhausting trying to maintain the pedestal they’ve placed you on. And the saddest realisation is that the relationship was built for attention, not affection.

The simplest way to avoid throning is to pay attention to how someone treats you when nobody is watching. The private version of them is far more honest than the public one. If their warmth disappears backstage, you already have your answer. And if your relationship feels more glamorous than genuine, it’s worth questioning why.

Because at the end of the day, love isn’t supposed to feel like a photoshoot. It’s supposed to feel like home.

Lead image: Netflix

Also read: Are men facing a crisis in love because they are refusing to get better?

Also read: Your complete beginner’s guide to scissoring