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Breadcrumbing: The dating trend that leaves you starving for more affection

lapost.com · 2,221 words · saved by 1 readers

The damaging dating phenomenon labeled as "toxic breadcrumbing" leaves individuals struggling between optimism and despair. Breadcrumbing involves pretending to be romantically interested by sporadically offering attention that ultimately leads to nothing substantial. This manipulative conduct compels targets to fixate on someone incapable of making a genuine commitment. While breadcrumbing can happen in other contexts, it most commonly occurs in modern dating, where technology makes offering fleeting spurts of affection easy. The psychology behind why it works involves “intermittent reinforcement.” You keep trying for more when rewards come randomly, like from a slot machine. Breadcrumbing takes an insidious emotional toll. Targets feel anxious, confused, sad, angry and unworthy. They may lower relationship standards or repeatedly pursue familiar painful patterns. Confronting the breadcrumber allows correction, but ending contact helps escape an addictive cycle. Experts say recognizin

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