RELATIONSHIPS
What Breadcrumbing Means In A Relationship
By ANNA DENSON
According to clinical psychologist Dr. Gemma Harris, “In a relationship context, breadcrumbing refers to a person who gives you just enough ‘crumbs’ of attention or affection to […] keep you on the hook — but not enough to make you feel comfortable.” This is especially common in the online dating world, and there are a few explanations as to why someone would do this.
The breadcrumber might have a fear of commitment, or is trying to stave off loneliness by giving themselves an ego boost, and other times the perpetrator might already be in a committed relationship. To be fair, they may also just be busy or have poor communication skills and don’t realize they’re being inconsiderate, so it never hurts to make your feelings known.
There are some key indicators that you may be being breadcrumbed: the other party will avoid making plans, and is more likely to only contact you around the same time everyday, like late at night or during their work break. Their responses are usually monosyllabic or emojis — if they respond at all — and any meaningful dialogue is essentially ignored.
Finally, if your interactions are limited to booty calls and hookups with no interest from your partner in pursuing anything else, they probably aren’t as emotionally invested as you’d like them to be. If this sounds like your situation, try speaking to the breadcrumber about the future of your relationship and lay out your expectations moving forward.