Cuffing season: The pros and cons

The leaves have long gone, the days are short and the air is near freezing — which means we are in the thick of cuff­ing season. It is now the time of year where Netflix and chill buddies start looking for serious partners — both in-person and online. Cuffing season, which starts in late October and lasts until Feb­ruary, is when people feel more inclined to settle down and commit to one person.

Cuffing season is a product of two factors: weather and societal pressures. The weather is miserable during these months — it forces many of us to stay indoors. Although the weather is gloomy, the back to back holidays during cuffing season ooze love, family and overall cheer. With all this love and joy in the air, the pressure to find that special some­one to bring home to holiday events and family get-togethers rises. Weather and societal pressure — combined with cheesy romantic Christmas movies — are why many young people are feeling the need to be cuffed.

Cuffing season is marked by a sharp increase in usage of a variety of dating apps — especially Tinder. A recent study of Facebook login ranks for various apps found that in mid-June, Tinder was the 10th most used app. By December, Tin­der climbed up to No. 6. Since nearly 80 percent of Tinder users are millennials, it’s safe to say that the cuffing bug is going around the UW Tacoma campus.

There is no right or wrong way to endure this cultural phenomenon — some embrace it, while others reject it or are indifferent to the term. If you are unsure about your stance on cuffing sea­son or whether you will partake in the festivities, here are some pros and cons to consider:

PROS

• Potential to meet “the one.”
• Opportunity to attend holiday events with a new bae.
• All the cuddling will save you money on your heating bill.

With all these new people available to date, now is the perfect time to pursue a winter romance. The incoming pleth­ora of couple-oriented holiday activities such as ice skating, gingerbread house decorating and attending holiday parties makes planning fun themed dates easy. It is also a season spent mostly indoors trying to keep warm, and extra body heat is definitely preferable compared to a cranked heater and being buried under five blankets. Partaking in cuffing season is the perfect opportunity to spend qual­ity time with someone you’re interested in. Since you will already be indoors watching Netflix and eating treats, why not do so with some company?

CONS

• It is a little disingenuous.
• Feelings can get easily hurt.
• Holiday activities can be enjoyed with loved ones.

Starting a new relationship with someone is not to be taken lightly as both partner’s feelings and emotions are in­volved. If you are looking for someone just to fill space during these next couple months, then it’s not very genuine and will likely lead to hurt feelings. While this season is filled with joy, the holidays are also a very stressful time as many people have to worry about being able to afford gifts and must travel for family functions. There are many ways to celebrate the holiday season. Spending time with loved ones is equally as fun — and often less stressful — than pursuing a new signifi­cant other.