When it comes to dating and relationships, people often test their partners in different ways to either know them better or to determine if they are with the right person.
More recently, many bizarre trends have gone viral on social media wherein people test their partners in unique ways.
Sometimes, taking these tests has also backfired– leading people to break up with each other. So, here we list down some such viral trends.
1. Orange Peel Theory
The Orange Peel Theory went viral on TikTok recently. According to it, a person can test their partner’s love by asking them to do something as simple as peeling an orange for them. If their partner agrees and does this, it shows that they are loved. But in case the partner refuses, it means that the relationship is doomed. The theory is based on the idea that doing small acts of kindness for your partner proves your love for them. However, this is not a foolproof way to judge your partner’s love for you. As someone can refuse to help their partner sometimes depending on how tired they are, or if they are in a bad mood.
2. Dorito Theory
Another theory that recently went viral on TikTok is the Dorito theory. According to it, if a person eats one Dorito chip after the other and can’t control themselves, knowing that it is not satisfying their hunger and is not healthy for them, it shows that they have unhealthy patterns in their life– be it in their career or personal life.
Talking about the Dorito Theory and explaining it, psychologist Reneé Carr told USA Today, “Not experiencing satiation when engaging in a particular activity or a relationship can influence you into staying in a situation that is not truly satisfying, not healthy and not happy. Because you experience just enough satisfaction, we mistakenly think that satisfaction is possible – leading us to stay longer or invest more energy unnecessarily.”
It is interesting to note that many people have broken up with their partner, after taking the Dorito Theory test and realising that they are in unhealthy relationships, as per reports.
3. Ketchup Challenge
Another bizarre trend that has gone viral on TikTok recently is the Ketchup Challenge, through which people test their partner’s cleaning habits. The idea is to spread ketchup on the kitchen counter on purpose and then ask your partner to help you clean it. It is a way to test if your partner can clean it up or if it ends up messing it up further. This shows if they are adept at cleaning the use or even willing to help their partner with household chores.
However, this is not a sure-shot way to judge your partner or relationship. Talking about this trend, Rebecca Coopersmith, a licensed clinical social worker and certified sexuality educator at the Family Institute at Northwestern University, says that she is not fond of this challenge as it gives one person a higher position in the relationship than the other. “What I dislike most about this challenge is that it does put one person in a one-up position instead of in a partnership. For me, it’s just a way to engender resentment. Truthfully, if we want our partners’ help, we need to accept that they might do things differently than we would have and that needs to be OK,” she told TODAY.
4. Green Line Theory
Proposed by a Twitter account named @alpharivelino, the Green Line Theory is a way to determine if a relationship will last or not. According to it, one needs to first take a couple’s picture together and by drawing a green line check whether they are leaning in towards each other or standing straight. As per the Green Line Theory, if both partners are standing straight then it is a sign of a long-lasting relationship; if the woman is leaning-in it shows that she is more emotionally dependent on the man and the relationship might last; however, if the man is is leaning-in more, it means he is emotionally depending on the woman more and the relationship might not last.
However, relationship experts don’t agree with this theory. Sharing her views, relationship expert Dr Rachna Khanna Singh told TOI, “This is not a valid theory. Your partner leaning onto you doesn’t make them weak. Today, we talk about equality in a relationship, and women encourage men to express emotions. Photographs, especially of celebrities, are not always natural. Body language can indicate the quality of a relationship, but a single photograph isn’t enough.”
5. Box Theory
First coined by TikTok influencer Christina Najjar, aka Tinx, the Box Theory suggests how men judge women within just minutes of meeting them. According to it, when a man meets a woman he places her in one of the three boxes: Either they want to date the woman, hook up with her, or he wants nothing to do with her. This idea was first proposed by Christina Najjar on TikTok in 2021, and it has since then gone viral with many people relating and agreeing to it.
Christina Najjar also shared that once a man has put you in a box, it is nearly impossible for them to change their mind. “It’s very difficult to shift from box to box and your behavior doesn’t affect what box you’re in,” she said, reports Daily Mail UK.
