- The trend combines love bombing, breadcrumbing and gaslighting
- Dating experts warn that ‘cobwebs’ will scare you
- Singletons have been told to keep their guard up this ‘cuffing season’
Attention singletons! Just in time for Halloween, a very sinister dating trend known as ‘spider webbing’ has rocketed to the forefront of the romance world – and sees manipulators spin a web of toxicity around their victims.
While dating can be a dramatic affair at the best of times, this brutal mix of love bombing and gas lighting makes things all the more painful for hapless singles who fall prey to its primal charms.
According to dating experts, spider webbing involves trapping people in unstable romances that ultimately leave the victim feeling desperate.
In addition to love bombing and gaslighting, spider webbing also has elements of breadcrumbing (i.e. when one person turns on another without any intention of dating) and therapy baiting, which involves people using attending therapy as a way to get others involved . .
Attention singletons! The latest dating trend known as ‘spider webbing’ has emerged and is causing manipulators to spin a web of toxicity around their victims
Seeking‘ said dating expert Emma Hathorn Subway: ‘(Spider webbing) is a web of deception and manipulation that can ensnare victims in an unstable and toxic relationship.’
The warning signs are often difficult to spot, meaning people overlook the first signs that their partner is spinning a web around them.
The first red flag to look out for is love bombing. If someone first showers you with attention, gifts, and romantic gestures and then quickly stops, this could be a sign of their true character.
If your partner cycles from one extreme to the other and fluctuates between hot and cold, you may fall victim to breadcrumbing, also a part of spider webs.
The next sign to look out for is gaslighting, where your partner tries to control your story about events.
Emma added: ‘They may deny things they have said or done, or make you believe you are irrational and question your reality.’
According to Emma, people often do this because they are ‘insecure’ and ‘narcissistic’.
If you try to confront a partner who is spider-webbing you, he or she may turn on you, making it seem like you are the abuser.
Cobwebs also involve the use of “therapy language.” Dr. Sarah Bishop says: ‘They may blame their bad behavior on how much they love and care for you, rather than remembering that they can choose whether to express their affection in a healthier and more balanced way’
Both dating experts noted that they need to remind yourself of your boundaries as “cuffing season” approaches (stock image)
They will also try to use “therapy language” against you, which is a form of manipulation that was previously brought to people’s attention after Jonah Hill’s ex Sarah Brady accused him of using the technique to “emotionally abuse” her.
Dr. Sarah Bishop, a British-based clinical psychologist, told us HuffPost: “For example, they may blame their bad behavior on how much they love and care for you, rather than remembering that they can choose whether to express their affection in a healthier and more balanced way.”
And as the weather begins to cool and you find yourself needing a hand to hold, both Emma and Sarah warn that you should remain wary of people who try to spin a web of lies and deceit around you.
Both dating experts noted that you need to remind yourself of your boundaries as “cuffing season” approaches.
