Daters, beware! There's a brand new flirtation-ship trend that is leaving lonely hearts broken left, right and centre.
The realm of modern-day dating can at times feel IMPOSSIBLE to navigate - more so now than ever.
Meeting 'the one' organically - or simply by chance - is seemingly a rarity in today's society, so, it's no surprise there's such a reliance upon the likes of Tinder, Hinge, Grindr, Bumble and Raya to find that special someone.
And while it might be less time consuming to set up an online dating profile than to get into town and start chatting someone up, hoping desperately that they're buying what you're selling, it also comes with several risks.
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And no, I'm not just talking about your date turning out to be a complete weirdo who kidnaps and murders you - although, that wouldn't be ideal.
I'm talking about something significantly more common and often just as heartbreaking - being 'ghosted'.
For those new to the dating scene - or those over 35 - 'ghosting' refers to someone suddenly ending all communication and avoiding contact with their potential love interest, without any apparent warning or explanation - and believe me, it HURTS.
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You're left wondering what put them off... Was it that joke you told? Did you have something in your teeth the whole time? Were you one of many love interests?
You can drive yourself mad thinking about what could have led them to do this.
But apparently, there's now a bigger, badder and more daunting phenomenon to deal with when it comes to dating, and it makes being ghosted seem like a walk in the park... being 'zombied'.
TikTok star and musician Mariel Darling took to social media last year in the hope of warning her followers about the risks that come with being 'zombied'.
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She explained that this phenomenon occurs when dating villains are transformed into flesh-eating corpses, who reanimate from the graveyard of failed romances to revisit their past flames from the dead.
"Girl, you’re being ghosted? I'm being out here being zombied," she began.
"It’s like ghosting, but he comes back from the dead after a couple months and hits you up."
Apparently, however, Mariel isn't the only victim, with many of her followers revealing they've also been 'zombied'.
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"Mine has a Jesus Christ complex, he comes back every three days," one joked.
Another went on: "I saw someone say she puts gravestone emojis on their name in contacts so she knows not to deal with them anymore."
"Tell me why this happened to me three times in the last three weeks," penned a third while a fourth echoed: "It happens to me all the time."
Featured Image Credit: TikTok/mariel_darlingTopics: Sex and Relationships, Dating trends