Dating trends reached new lows this year. What are ‘throning,’ ‘Shrekking,’ 'Banksying’?

Love: It's a tale as old as time. But the way we talk about it is constantly evolving.

Remember "beige flags," "icks" and "situationships"? Well, those terms are so last year. Now, daters are having to deal with "throning," "Banksying" and "ZIP coding." They're also getting "monkey barred" − and no, that one's not as sweet and innocent as it sounds.

Amy Chan, a dating coach and the author of "Breakup Bootcamp: The Science of Rewiring Your Heart," previously told USA TODAY we shouldn't be surprised buzzy new dating terms keep cropping up. Modern dating has become so baffling in the digital age, she said, that people are struggling to make sense of their experiences − so they're inventing new words to process them.

"Modern dating has gotten so complicated that we need new words just to describe what's happening to us," she said. "It's like we've made dating struggles part of our public conversation in a way that just didn't happen before."

So, if you're struggling to keep up with the labyrinth that is the dating landscape, you're not alone. We've compiled this handy guide to all the recent terms and trends. That way, the next time you get "throned" by someone you were trying to "Shrek," you'll know exactly what's going on.

What is throning?

Looking for your "king" or "queen"? Be careful.

"Throning" is when you date someone to raise your social status. The goal for throners is to land a partner with clout, so their own image gets a boost by association.

"Basically, the date is a throne that is used to elevate the person who is doing the throning," one TikToker explains in a video. "The scenario focuses solely on social influence or status and not on building a real emotional connection."

The TikToker warns: "If a person seems overly focused on your status or social circle and changes their behaviors towards you depending upon whether you're in public or private... this can indicate throning."

What is Shrekking?

“Shrekking” involves dating someone you’re not attracted to in the hopes that this person will treat you better in return. After all, Princess Fiona took a chance on Shrek, and that turned out great for her, right?

Unfortunately, when you get "Shrekked," it means the person you lowered your standards for still ended up hurting you. As Chan previously put it, "In this plotline, you're dating an ogre without the princess treatment."

"Plenty of people have put looks lower on the list or hoped attraction would grow over time, and that in itself isn’t a bad thing," she added. "Where it backfires is when someone assumes that just because they’re dating ‘down’ in looks, they’ll automatically be treated better."

What is Banksying?

"Banksying" derives its name from the elusive street artist Banksy, known for art that seems to pop up out of nowhere and often comes with a cryptic twist. Like a baffling Banksy art piece, Banksying in a relationship involves slowly withdrawing emotionally from your partner, without telling them that's what you're doing. When the time comes to finally break up, the Banksy-er often feels better, having mentally checked out of the relationship long ago, leaving the other partner blindsided and confused.

When someone employs this technique, they start destroying the relationship before the other person even sees it coming. Some of Banksy's art has famously self-destructed − like one painting that made headlines for shredding itself after selling at auction for $1.4 million.

What is ZIP coding?

"ZIP coding" can take different forms, depending on who you ask. In the most common version, people set such a tight radius on their dating app filters that they keep themselves from meeting anyone outside their ZIP code.

For some, ZIP coding goes even further: They'll date someone exclusively while that person is in their region, but then consider themselves single when that person's outside their ZIP code. Think college students who are monogamous during the school year, but date others when home for the holidays. Or having a boyfriend only while you're together at summer camp.

It all speaks to an unhealthy obsession with location that Chan says has taken over dating.

"We expect everything to be tailored, fast and frictionless, as if love should work like food delivery," she says. "But that approach can become narcissistic, focused on what’s easiest for us and what appeals to our egos, rather than what fosters real connection."

What is monkey barring?

"Monkey barring" alludes to how in dating, partners move from connection to connection, only letting go of the old one when they’ve moved onto the next. 

Amanda Miller, professor of sociology at the University of Indianapolis, previously told USA TODAY the behavior isn't all that new. But the phenonmena is more prevalent right now as Gen Z struggles to find connections in real life amid the era of dating apps.

"Something where you can swipe and swipe and swipe seemingly forever makes it seem there's this infinite supply of partners, and there's not," Miller said. People monkey bar because they're seeking security, she added. They are avoiding the vulnerability that comes with leaving a relationship and being alone.

Contributing: Nicole Fallert and Rachel Hale, USA TODAY