So why would anyone want to be tied down in a relationship?

This is where the new trend “Relationship Lite” comes into play.

Technically, it’s a trend that has been occurring for ages and is now equipped with a name. According to a blog on huffingtonpost.com by Jill Di Donato, the concept of Relationship Lite is simple: It’s an arrangement between two people who go out together, watch movies together, cuddle, tease each other, meet each other’s friends and, of course, have sex. These activities that are usually relationship-driven simply lack the ties of an actual romantic relationship.

It’s like drinking diet soda or fat-free ranch; it looks like a relationship and tastes somewhat similar to a relationship, but it’s stripped of a few of its key parts that make it a relationship so it is better for the consumer.

I could see this being a healthy scenario in a college town setting. I don’t want to spend my college years fretting over whether I’ve said the wrong thing to my boyfriend or struggling endlessly to decode what’s going on in his brain — I’m already on the verge of pulling my hair out trying to find the time to study.

Still, it’s always nice to go out on dates or even spend an evening inside, snuggled up next to someone while watching a movie. I think that most people, whether they realize it or not, crave the interactions couples share. The only thing they don’t have a hunger for is the actual “couple” part of the equation.

In an ideal world, the concept of Relationship Lite would work without a hitch. One person would do their own thing and the other would do theirs, and they still would have each other to fall back on after a painfully long day.

It might seem flawless, but the idea still has the potential to end in disaster.

A certain level of maturity is required to maintain one of these relationships. The blog states that both parties must be totally open with each other about their wants and needs that are or are not being tended to. Not only that, but both need to be able to tell when it’s time kiss the other goodbye, and walk away before it gets too messy.

We’ve all seen the movies: Boy meets girl, boy and girl don’t want commitment, so boy and girl fall into a no-strings-attached relationship with each other. After an hour and a half of laugh-out-loud and heart-touching moments, boy and girl realize that doing all of these relationship-esque things has led to them developing feelings for each other.

Normally, I don’t reference movies when it comes to real-world relationships, but this is one concept that hits the nail directly on the head.

Intimacy, affection, love — these are three things that can’t be forced, but also can’t be pushed aside. Two people can participate in these dating activities on a regular basis and claim that they feel nothing or that it’s all casual fun, but they’re going to get to know each other during that process. They’re going to learn the other’s amusing and irritating quirks, what makes them laugh and what makes them tick.

Whether they actually like the person they get to know is an entirely different story.

Eventually, some sort of bond is going to form.

This bond doesn’t have to lead to love, but it could, and anyone who attempts a Relationship Lite scenario should be aware of that. Worse than that, it could end with only one party developing those feelings, which will lead to that person watching sad movies as they eat a carton of ice cream.

In other words, even the no-strings-attached Relationship Lite can end in heartbreak.

Is it possible to make it work? Yes. Anyone who’s set firmly in their ways and knows without any doubt they don’t want, or need, a relationship can maintain a Relationship Lite. It’s a healthy concept during this day and age as you get your first taste of freedom.

However, keep in mind that if it looks like a relationship and acts like a relationship, it has the potential to become a relationship.