Grande-ing the way ahead

In a tech forward world, relationships don’t follow age old rules and traditions! The power lies in the hands of social media, celebrities and lay man to create trends.

And the newest relationship trend that is making its rounds on the internet, inspired by Ariana Grande’s song Thank You, next, is a phenomenon called Grande-ing; which means not feeling sorry for yourself or hating the ex for things falling apart but being thankful for what you have learnt and embracing your newly single self. And according to a data collected from a dating app, Plenty of Fish, 50 percent of singles have made it a point to do this heading into 2019.

In a chat with youngsters and experts, we find out what they think about this trend and how it could affect people.

Mandakini Menon, a freelance filmmaker is in full cheer for the trend. She says, “You meet someone and share a part of your life with them; to throw it away over a day’s time is not easy. When relationships don’t work, there is a reason behind it. It is important to keep those differences aside and still wish well for them. Having said that, I am also aware that it takes some time to get over the person, stop feeling jealous or envy when you see them with someone else. It wasn’t easy for me either with my ex. But once we got past it, we share a beautiful friendship that I think is so much more important that holding back grudges and hating one another.”

To accommodate such a trend in a country which believed and worked towards relationships that end in happy marriages is not easy. Commenting on the same, Suparna Majumdar Kar, an associate professor of sociology, says, “Relationships are transforming in India, we are seeing an increasing number of youngsters choosing relationships that are not limited to marriage. Within this context, the nature and the degree of permanence attached to these relationships are also changing. Grande-ing represents one such shift where the partners choose to let go without acrimony, while appreciating what drew them together in the first place, and move on rather than remain in relationships which can be unfulfilling or even toxic.”

While we all agree that the trend is a positive one, how is it going to affect an individual and why should they follow it?

Meghana Singhal, a psycsologist says, “A trend like this can only have a positive impact on people. Every relationship has its ups and downs. By doing this we are focusing on the positive things that happened in the relationship and not the things that you regret. It is in a way, reminding us to look life with a positive attitude. It is teaching us to be grateful. And gratitude is the one factor that helps people stay happier. You are also relieving yourself off the unnecessary hatred and angst towards the said person and appreciating the good in them.”