Definition and Characteristics

"Situationship" is an informal term that describes an undefined and uncommitted relationship in which the two parties go beyond friendship, have sex, date, and even develop feelings for each other, but are unwilling to commit to a long-term romantic relationship. It is a kind of ambiguous romantic relationship.^[1]

Conceptual framework and key components

The term "Situationship" is a combination of "Situation" and "Relationship." Its conceptual framework is built upon sociology, psychology, and communication studies^[2]. In today's digital age, dating apps, social media, and speed dating are increasingly popular and widespread, becoming a new form of romantic relationship among the younger generation. This relationship reflects, from a psychological and sociological perspective, the shift in contemporary intimate relationships from a fixed "state" to a fluid "situation." Therefore, a new term is needed to describe this complex romantic relationship of the new generation. The conceptual framework of "Situationship" can include the following aspects:^[3]

1. Relationship Definition: Unclear A relationship that exists somewhere between casual dating and a formal romantic partnership. Neither party has explicitly labeled the relationship or clearly defined their roles within it, resulting in a somewhat ambiguous intimate connection.
2. Emotional Connection: Emotional intimacy and connection still exist between them in certain situations, though interactions can swing between closeness and distance.
3. Interaction Frequency: They typically engage frequently—socializing, dating, or sharing other forms of intimacy—but the nature of these interactions remains undefined.
4. Lack of Exclusivity and Boundaries: Due to the unclear nature of the relationship, expectations and boundaries between the two parties are often blurred. While involved with each other, both may also interact with other people.
5. Lack of Commitment and Future Vision: Communication tends to be superficial, with little to no discussion about how far they plan to go together in the future. There is a lack of a shared vision for their future.

Difference from other related concepts

It is difficult to differentiate a "Situationship" from its related concepts because they all seem like casual and not serious relationship. The most common related concepts with "situationship" include the following terms:^[4][5]

1. ONS: Refers to a one-night stand, which usually means that the two parties have only one sexual encounter and do not expect a continued emotional relationship or follow-up contact.
2. SP: Refers to Sex Partner, which usually means that the two parties have Repetitive sexual relations, but also just for fun and sex. It is not a serious and formal relationship as well.
3. SL: Refers to Secret Lover or Second Lover, which usually means that the two parties have at least one already has a formal partner, maybe who is married or in a long-term boyfriend or girlfriend relationship, so the existence is hidden.
4. FWB: Refers to Friends with Benefits, which usually means that the two parties are friends but adding a sexual element. They are not just meeting up and having sex. They will chat, eat, and care for each other like a friend, but no obligation to the relationship and not boyfriend or girlfriend.

• Relationship formation refers to the venue to meet each other ^[6]. For instance, college events and student organizations.

• In addition to typical venues like school, workplace, religious events and social media, people in a situationship mainly met their partner through nightlife activities, such as at nightclubs, bars and parties ^[6].

• Relationship maintenance means how relationships are maintained. The behavior and strategies employed by both parties to maintain relationships^[6]. For instance, positive communication, shared activities and time, mutual support, conflict management and social interactions.
• According to Sternberg’s Triangular Theory of love, romantic relationships can experience love depending on the presence of passion, intimacy and commitment.^[7] Langlasis et al. (2024) discovered that situationship is similar to romantic relationships.^[6] They both involve emotional connection and intimacy but situationship lack labels and steady commitment.
• No clear relationship label
• The primary and most crucial characteristic of a situationship is that it is undefined and not considered as a formal relationship^[6] There are no clear labels, such as “girlfriend” and “boyfriend”. The individuals prefer to maintain a casual dynamic, which not only allows them to stay relaxed and comfortable, but also reduces the fear and pressures of traditional dating expectations that comes with defining the relationship. Keeping a relationship as undefined also may offer benefits like fewer disappointments. It is because they will not hold each other to a standard of a committed and traditional relationship.

• Lack of commitment
• A labeled relationship requires commitment. In contrast, a situationship is not labeled so it lacks commitment or long-term plans.^[6]  It is often built on day-to-day or weekly plans, sometimes without any plans. If the relationship includes future plans and commitment, as that would assume that the relationship is anything more than casual.

• Public announcement of a relationship
• As situationships exclude future plans and conversations about commitment, the partners are rarely introduced to each other's family and relatives.^[6] It is because they may not feel the importance and necessary to integrate the other person into their perosnal life. They may also prefer to keep social lives private and confidential. However, they may introduce each other to their friends. When the relationship is considered significant, such as a defined romantic relationship, they will introduce each other to their families.
• On-again-off-again relationships

• A core part of the situationship agreement is that both parties are not bound to each other by clear commitment which means it lacks clear boundaries and exclusivity.^[6] This can cause confusion and uncertainty about the relationship’s future and nature. Dindia & Timmerman (2003) found that when people are not in an exclusive relationship, they may fear commitment or struggle with establishing relationship permanence.^[8] In a situationship, one or both parties involved have no interest in forming an exclusive or committed relationship. On the contrary, both parties have agreed to be exclusive in a committed and romantic relationship.

• Moreover, situationship always involve inconsistent relationships.^[6] Partners may be inconsistent in their behaviour, communication patterns and feelings due to the lack of a defined commitment. For example, they might be passionate and affectionate at times, and cold and distant at others. Consistency is a characteristic of a commitment since it fosters trust and transparency. Apart from being inconsistent, they may not express their true feelings and thoughts, often speaking only in generalities.

Situationships have influenced the concept and understanding of intimacy and dating, since no commitment is needed. Especially among the Gen Z, they tend to try not to accept a relationship because they may want to have more freedom such as reaching their personal goals or focus on their own ^[9]. In a situationship, the focus is mainly on physical or emotional connection at the moment, rather than keeping  promises or future planning. So, there are some people who just want to have intimate and romantic connection with their partners, instead of truly getting into a serious relationship. Therefore, situationship shifts from structured relations and clear boundaries to flexible and undefined relations.

Social media and digital apps encourage the normalization of causal interaction and contribute to the rise of situationship ^[10]. Social media such as Instagram or TikTok, where can provide a platform for users to meet new people easily. For dating apps like Tinder or Hinge, swiping and matching users that are interested in, encourages multiple interactions and messaging at the same time. This may help to build up a connection in a short time with intimacy but blurring the distinction between authentic connection and superficial contact.

Situationship can reflect on films, tv shows or music. They portrait the undefined relationships, emotional ambiguity and lack of commitment in situationship. Here are some examples in popular media:

• Films

Friends With Benefits (2011)^[11]

Show how the merging of friendships and romance without commitment and clear boundaries.

500 Days Of Summer (2009)^[12]

Representing a relationship without the same expectations and undefined.

No Strings Attached (2011)^[13]

Relationships start without clear definition or commitments, reflecting situationship in the modern generation.

• TV shows

Euphoria (2019-)^[14]

The shows focus on Gen Z relationship ambiguity.

One Day (2024)^[15]

Sharing deep emotional attachment and intimacy but without formalizing the relationship, mirroring the unclear boundaries of situationship.

• Music

Situationship — Summer Walker (2025)^[16]

Explore the feelings towards situationship and just being more than friends.

Casual — Chappell Roan (2023)^[17]

Express the feeling in a situationship and want to get rid of the unclear relationship.

People might be in the situationship for various reasons for instance one or both parties are not ready to be in a committed relationship due to past relationships or they are simply enjoying the flexibility it offers due to the undefined nature of the relationship.^[18] Over time, this dynamic shifts as one party becomes emotionally invested and might want more. As he or she airs out their concern, the other party might ghost them or pull back their attention which can bring about emotional and psychological damage to them.^[19] The other impact is in the fact that situationships might be emotionally draining as the person is unsure on whether their partner is truly invested in them as they are or they are simply there for the good times.^[20]

Situationships are often undefined and this makes the parties involved to not feel the need to constantly be updating their partner on what they are doing and as a result this might bring about the issue of impaired communication where one party becomes an anxious attachment type while the other becomes the avoidant one who refrains from communicating effectively with their partner.^[21] This will result in issues in the situationship where one party feel that their needs are not properly met and bringing the issue up will lead to a conflict or the person might be ghosted for good by the other.

Situationships limit the people involved in having relational and personal growth based on the fact that it is surface level as the agreement of this type of relationship is satisfying each other’s needs without the burden of emotions or being committed to the other person as it is a casual affair.^[22] Furthermore, the relationship itself lacks the proper frame for growth and without mutual goals, a shared vision for the future, the dynamic is less likely to evolve into a more resilient partnership. With this in mind, one can remain in a perpetual state of emotional limbo, preventing both individuals from experiencing the rewards and challenges that come with a committed relationship.^[23]

The lack of the explicit commitment can create a conducive environment in which power imbalances are more likely to happen. If one partner has the desires more commitment than the other, they may use the terms of the situationship against their own best interests, and this may potentially lead to feelings of being used.^[24] This dynamic can be damaging if it involves sexual intimacy without having any emotional commitment that is not mutually agreed upon thus leading to emotional distress.

The prevalence of situationships is often connected to broader sociological trends such as the cultural shift towards individualism, the normalization of the hookup culture, and the options that is introduced by digital dating applications.^[25] Even though these relationships can serve a particular purpose for individuals seeking casual connections, and the mental health professionals advice against the inherent lack of clarity as it can be detrimental to one’s emotional well-being especially in situations where the dynamic is prolonged.^[26]