Netflix and chill and 4 other types of situationships that should be left in 2025
If the last decade had a personality, it would be that friend who keeps saying “I am fine” while everything around them is on fire. The dating world was exactly like that. People were stuck in almost relationships, half-commitments and storytelling arrangements that sounded sweet at first but were actually confusing and draining. Everyone was “talking to someone,” “hanging out,” “seeing where things go,” or trapped in a connection that looked like a relationship but had none of the stability.
As we step into a new year, it is time to choose ourselves with confidence. It is time to leave behind anything that gave us mixed signals, uncertainty or emotional mental gymnastics. 2026 should be the year we seek clarity, honesty and relationships that actually make sense.
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Below are the situationships that had their run in the last 10 years and honestly do not deserve to follow us into the future.
1. Netflix and chill
In a world where Netflix and chill has become a relationship title, men may feel relaxed to plan a proper date or ask a woman out. This situationship has become the most familiar trap because it always starts casually. Someone suggests watching something together, but the plan never actually moves past choosing a title. Before you know it, you have spent hours sitting together without a real conversation about what you both want or where the connection is supposed to go.
The problem with this arrangement is that it keeps people in a comfortable but empty bubble. There is no effort, no planning and no sign of anyone taking things seriously. It encourages passiveness and allows people to avoid real conversations. In 2026, it is time for real outings, real conversations, meaningful time and people who show interest through action instead of convenience.
2. “Going with the flow”
Run for the hills if a guy says, “Let us go with the flow,” and see where this goes. This situationship always begins beautifully. There is comfort, laughter, late-night chats and natural chemistry. It feels easy and soft. But it stays stuck in that stage forever. The moment someone asks, “Where is this going?” the energy shifts and everything becomes vague. You suddenly find yourself dealing with someone who wants all the benefits of closeness without giving any structure or direction.
What makes this arrangement so draining is that it tricks people into staying hopeful for something that may never happen. You end up adjusting your expectations, lowering your standards and pretending to be unbothered when deep down you want clarity, the bar is literally in hell!. Leaving this behind in 2025 means choosing people who are sure about you, people who communicate their intentions openly and people who do not hide behind the excuse of “going with the flow” simply to avoid commitment.
3. Mubaba arrangement
Every babe in Nairobi knows the sugar daddy trend! They love it, they love the perks that come with this. I mean, who does not want easy money? This is the kind of situationship that looks glamorous from the outside but carries too much emotional baggage on the inside. The attention and gifts may come, but so does the unpredictability, secrecy, silence and lack of emotional security. One moment, everything feels exciting, and the next moment, communication disappears or becomes extremely controlled.
This kind of dynamic often leaves the younger person dealing with stress they did not sign up for. It is also usually one-sided because the older person holds the power and calls all the shots. As we move into 2026, the goal should be healthier interactions where both people feel safe, respected and valued. If a connection requires hiding, sneaking or carrying emotional pressure, it is not something worth taking into the new year.
4. “We are just besties”
This is the situationship where two people act exactly like a couple but insist on calling each other friends. You talk every day. You hang out constantly. You know each other’s routines and feelings. People around you assume you are dating because everything about the dynamic looks like a relationship.
The problem is that one person usually wants more while the other enjoys the comfort without the responsibility. It becomes emotional limbo. Instead of two people clearly choosing each other, it becomes one person waiting, hoping and pretending not to be hurt by the lack of a title.
Leaving this behind means freeing yourself from emotional illusions and choosing transparency. If someone treats you like a partner but refuses to acknowledge the connection publicly or officially, then they are benefiting from your presence without giving you what you deserve in return.
5. It’s not you, it’s me! (Unemotionally available fella)
This is the person who appears with warmth and attention whenever it suits them, then disappears the moment anything becomes serious. They know how to say the right things at the right time, which makes it easy to hold onto hope. They sprinkle just enough compliments, texts and meetups to keep the connection alive but never take steps forward.
This situationship is exhausting because it leaves people stuck in waiting mode. You never know when they will show up, you never know how they truly feel, and you never know if the next step will ever exist. They just wake up one day and give you the classical line that has been used for centuries by our ancestors and those before them: “It is not you, it’s me,” “I don’t deserve you,” and “You deserve better.”
It is time to let go of people who give bare minimum effort and take full advantage of your kindness. 2026 calls for consistency, not confusion. We deserve partners who show up because they want to, not because they are bored or lonely.
