Zumping? Here's What You Need To Know About The Latest Dating Trend
Ugh. Not another one.
getty By Alexa Jary
What’s the worst way that someone could break up with you? Maybe it's over a text message or in a voicemail? In most cases, we would prefer that our significant other dump us in person, because it seems like the appropriate thing to do.
But what happens when you can’t even see your partner, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and you decide that it’s time to call it quits?
Many people are turning to the closest alternative to in-person breakups during this time by scheduling a Zoom conference to dump their significant other.
This new form of breaking up, referred to as “zumping,” allows couples to see each other and their reactions without breaking any social distancing rules.
The word "zumped" is a combination of the words ”Zoom” and “dumped.” Although many couples now use Zoom or other video conferencing apps to host their dinner dates or even a wedding, a Zoom call could spell the end of a relationship for some couples.
For the person being dumped, “zumping” sounds like the worst possible breakup that you could imagine.
However, let’s play devil’s advocate for just a second here and look at this from the angle of the person who's dumping their significant other.
If you decide that this relationship should end, but you're unable to see your partner during this time of quarantine, then you can’t break up with them in person.
Of course, you could possibly wait until life goes back to normal, but why prolong a relationship if you know that it’s going to fail?
You don’t want to simply text them or slide into their DMs to say that it’s over, though, so what do you do? Well, as it turns out, you can “zump” them.
Does it sound awful? Yes, it does. But aren’t all breakups awful? And at least they had the guts to actually look you in the face while they did it, instead of opting for something like a phone call or a text.
And honestly, I’d rather have someone dump me over Zoom than to waste weeks of my life with them. I wouldn’t want to invest my time in a relationship if my partner has already checked out of it.
But do we really need a separate word to describe someone who's dumping their partner over Zoom? Probably not.
There are millions of different ways that someone can dump you these days, and we don’t always create new terms for all of them.
Since “zumping” is a part of the pandemic, though, it is probably going to be here to stay. But at least now you know what it means.
Alexa Jary is a writer who focuses on dating, relationships, and love. For more of her relationship content, visit her author profile on Unwritten.