This article was written by The Zillennial Zine’s fall editorial intern Jess Newman. Find her on Instagram at @_jess_n_. If you would like to share an article with The Zillennial, send us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com.
It’s no secret that dating has become the most horrifying dumpster fire there ever was. Meeting new people can be such a toss-up. It can go good, bad, or anywhere in between like being stood up, being catfished, or much worse (just watch the news). The joke is that everyone knows how bad it’s gotten and that’s how “Datting Wrapped” started trending.
What is Dating Wrapped?
This trend was created by Alexandria McLean last year. She took the idea of “Spotify Wrapped” and tweaked it to address her dating life throughout the year. She displayed all of her data about how she met her dates, where they went, if they got a second date, who ended it and lastly how many she cried over in a PowerPoint. Then at the end, Alexandria reveals she is still single and says whoever wants to ask her out will be in her Dating Wrapped the next year but don’t ask her on a walking date. When interviewed by The Today Show, McLean said that she made the video to make other women feel less alone.
Caught on like wildfire
Baby boomers love to say how sensitive our generation is, but I don’t think that’s true. If anything we have learned how to laugh at ourselves which has made us pretty savage. That’s why this trend spread like wildfire. Everyone loved hearing each other’s horror stories so much so that a year later the trend is making a comeback as users are posting their Dating Wrapped of 2023. Even Alexandria made a new video for this year where she reveals she hasn’t cried over a boy this year which is amazing. She also states that “Modern dating really is a numbers game”. She might be on to something seeing that her relationship status this year is taken.
Favorite videos from this year
User @zockr popped up on my For You feed a while back telling a story of a horrible first date he had just gone on, where the girl’s first message to him was a joke about arranged marriage but then she brought her parents with her to their first date. It seems fitting that his Dating Wrapped video was funny and relatable. He went on a total of 69 dates and the man went through the wringer. He reveals how some dates left before the check came, one brought her twin sister, one girl brought her “brother” (he was actually her boyfriend), one girl was engaged, some were catfish, some were scammers and he also mentioned the arranged marriage date. I think it’s because he went on so many dates that there were so many bad ones because like Alexandria said it really is a numbers game.
My other favorite is from @ohuprettythings. Her Dating Wrapped video truly made me feel like I’ve asked guys for the absolute bare minimum and that needs to change. She listed how many uber black rides were sent for her, how many bouquets she received, how many times she was taken to Nobu and how many trips she took. She states that out of 36 first dates, only two of them were traumatizing. She had better odds than Zakir, but it also seems that she was setting super expensive expectations from the beginning. I’m sure that had something to do with it. The takeaway from her video is you deserve the world and nothing less. Don’t settle and set the expectations right off the bat.
A lot of users mentioned they only dated this year in order to be able to make a Dating Wrapped video. Whether you go on 200 first dates or only 2, make the most of it and remember you don’t owe anyone anything. Whether you met irl or on apps, if the vibes are off or you don’t feel comfortable, get out of there and include it in your Dating Wrapped later.
How’s your dating life? Have you participated in the Dating Wrapped trend this year?
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