Dating trends are always changing. It started with mutual friends fixing dates for their friends. However, with the emergence of social media, dating apps and other mediums, it has become easier to connect with more people. Online dating has become the norm of new-age romance and catchy terms and phrases, like fizzling and masterdating, have taken the internet by storm. Gen Z is currently ruling the dating scenario and the relationship scene has taken a turn. Now, pebbling, a new trend inspired by penguins is gaining popularity online and has made a lot of social media users happy.
Pebbling is a new term describing the act of giving small presents or making kind gestures for your partners to make their day brighter. It draws inspiration from Gentoo penguins. As per the New York Post, when a penguin has a crush, they give pebbles to each other, which are used to build nests. This signals that they are keen on becoming a mating partner.
In the case of humans, pebbling can take place in the form of memes, Instagram reels, social media posts or simple messages, to show affection. "I think it's the cutest thing ever because memes are a love language these days. Pebbling started with the advent of meme sending as a form of creating a connection with people," relationship expert Gigi Engle told Metro UK.
She added, "You simply see something that reminds you of someone you love, and you send it to them."
Gen Z looks at memes as an additional form of interaction, frequently in addition to text messaging, and have been dubbed a "love language." She continued, "It can definitely strengthen relationship because it's similar to sending a message saying 'I saw this and thought of you'. Pebbling can be a really good way of building banter and a connection with a partner. It doesn't have to be physical stuff - it's meme culture."
However, if the pebbles- which include posts, videos, and memes-quickly stop coming, there could be a problem or they might be ghosting you. "Pebbling does have the potential to set an expectation of communication you're going to have throughout your relationship, so that's something to keep in mind. If you stop pebbling the other person may wonder what they did wrong," she said.
