People named Ben better get ready.
You’re about to get Karen’s treatment and your name is going to be a frequently mentioned insult – all thanks to a new trend.
Talk of a “Ben scene” is now all over TikTok, apparently started by creator Gabster.
In the five-second video, which has been viewed over 12 million times, she makes awkward faces along with the caption “See any girl go through her Ben stage” and Florence’s “you better run” lyric.
Duets and responses poured in as more and more people shared stories of disappointing dates, toxic situations, and metaphorical bullet dodges.
This is bad news for Bens around the world, but this trend can be useful for emphasizing that we have to kiss a few frogs before we find our prince (prince).
What is the Ben stage?
The Ben stage refers to a period of unhappy or unsatisfactory relationships, either with one person or with a series of equally worthless partners.
At this point in life you look back and shrink, but it’s also when you find out what you need and what you’re worth.
The stories shared in this trend range from general misbehavior (“he slept with my best friend”) to outright bizarre (“he hit an owl with his car”).
It’s clearly hit a nerve: hundreds of commenters claim they’ve been through the same thing and say the shared experience helps them feel “seen.”
To be clear, you don’t have to actually date someone called Ben – the scene with Ben is really about vibes.
Who is the real Ben and what did he do wrong?
There are several different theories as to how Ben was chosen as the figurehead for this trend.
Some speculate that this is due to Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck, who rekindled their romance in 2020 after more than 15 years apart.
J. Lo said that the cancellation of their 2004 wedding was “the biggest heartbreak of my life”. [her] life” making a table with ideas of mistakes and growth.
Others believe it has to do with two influencers named Evin and Ben who recently broke up.
Fans of the former couple have taken sides online, leading some to claim that Ben’s alleged misbehavior was the cause of the split.
In reality, however, this is most likely just a catch-all term for a certain type of male, as is the ongoing joke that names beginning with the letter J are a red flag.
The history of the nickname can also give us some clues. Ben is currently the 348th most popular boy name in the UK, up from a peak position of 21 in 2002.
Our late teens and twenties are often a tumultuous period in love, and a whole generation of Bens are now in that age group. So it makes sense that many young people met their own Bens in search of love.
Whether you’re Ben worrying about your romantic future or about to cancel your date with Ben due to a misguided act of self-preservation, try not to make the trend too big.
We all live and learn – and some of us live long enough to be immortalized in meme format.
Talk about your struggles if it helps, but don’t use stereotypes from past experiences. This can severely limit your potential for lasting love.
Do you have a story you want to share?
Contact us at MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.
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