As the number of sugar babies in the UK reaches a new high of 2 million, City News investigates why this lifestyle is proving to be a popular choice for so many young people.
The London sugar scene is booming. Credit: City News.
What is sugaring?
Sugaring is a relationship defined by, stereotypically, older men providing financial assistance and mentorship to a younger woman. These sugar arrangements can be similar to normal dating relationships.
This can include simply going out for dinner, spending time together or sexual relations. As this phenomenon grows, it becomes more diverse.
There are now older women looking for younger men and within the LGBTQ+ community.
How do people enter this world?
Seeking Arrangements is the world’s largest sugar site. It has over four million members in 139 countries. Brandon Wade is the CEO and he set it up in 2006. This site is the go-to for prospective sugar daddies and babies.
Brandon Wade talks about why people are attracted to his site.
“At the end of the day, it’s about setting a higher standard for who you date. It’s about upgrading your relationship.”
“So when you break up with an ex, you want to date someone that’s better, better than before.”
How do sugar babies set up a first meeting?
Shay is a sugar baby from Birmingham. She has been sugaring for five years alongside her 9-5 job. She has her own views on how to set up an arrangement.
Shay is a 24 year-old sugar baby from Birmingham. Credit: City News.
“I like to know their intentions first. Some people want an allowance, some people want to do an ‘exchange’, others want to just meet up.
“Some want to see multiple people right off the bat, others want to spice up their marriage. I like to know what is your situation, what is your perfect arrangement? And I’ll let you know mine.
“When we meet, we can just treat it like a normal date.”
But what are the potential downfalls of this lifestyle?
Elizabeth Sullivan is a relationship and dating coach who has helped clients who have struggled in these arrangements before.
Elizabeth Sullivan, a dating and relationship coach, has helped both sugar babies and sugar daddies in the past. Credit: City News.
“I think one of the issues is the younger person putting the older one on a pedestal. If we want to have healthy relationships then it helps to see them as an equal. And that’s really the place where a healthy relationship comes from.
“As soon as we idolise or think they are so incredible that when problems start. If we see them as a real person, and their flaws, instead of just their good points, sugar relationships would work better.”
But what happens when arrangements go wrong?
We spoke to ‘M’ a sugar baby who wishes to remain anonymous. Her first sugar arrangement left her feeling violated and scared.
“For a long time I was homeless and a sex worker. I was in a third world town and everyone knew me. It started to get unsafe and I had to move. Sex work really was not great. And luckily there was a better option out there.
A typical message received by a sugar baby. Credit: City News.
“One of my biggest mistakes was during my very first encounter. A gentleman took advantage of me because I didn’t know how sugaring worked.
“He wanted to have unprotected anal sex and at the very last minute he said he didn’t have anything to pay me. He said he didn’t believe in setting up arrangements without doing a test run first.
“He was a fashion designer and had just come back from Bulgaria. I think he gave me the equivalent of about £50.”
So, could this become part of mainstream dating?
The world of sugaring is far more nuanced than perceived. Some sugar babies receive mentorship and companionship.
Whilst others, have been taken advantage of through the inherent power imbalances that can exist in these relationships.
Society has a way to go before it accepts sugaring as a legitimate form of dating. It is only through understanding more of these human stories that will we begin to truly understand the motivations behind entering into these arrangements.
Submitted Article
Headline
Short Headline
Standfirst
Published Article
HeadlineCity Investigates Sugaring
Short HeadlineCity Investigates: the rising popularity of sugar arrangements
StandfirstAn insight into why this lifestyle is proving to be so attractive for sugar babies across the UK
As the number of sugar babies in the UK reaches a new high of 2 million, City News investigates why this lifestyle is proving to be a popular choice for so many young people.
The London sugar scene is booming. Credit: City News.
What is sugaring?
Sugaring is a relationship defined by, stereotypically, older men providing financial assistance and mentorship to a younger woman. These sugar arrangements can be similar to normal dating relationships.
This can include simply going out for dinner, spending time together or sexual relations. As this phenomenon grows, it becomes more diverse.
There are now older women looking for younger men and within the LGBTQ+ community.
How do people enter this world?
Seeking Arrangements is the world’s largest sugar site. It has over four million members in 139 countries. Brandon Wade is the CEO and he set it up in 2006. This site is the go-to for prospective sugar daddies and babies.
Brandon Wade talks about why people are attracted to his site.
“At the end of the day, it’s about setting a higher standard for who you date. It’s about upgrading your relationship.”
“So when you break up with an ex, you want to date someone that’s better, better than before.”
How do sugar babies set up a first meeting?
Shay is a sugar baby from Birmingham. She has been sugaring for five years alongside her 9-5 job. She has her own views on how to set up an arrangement.
Shay is a 24 year-old sugar baby from Birmingham. Credit: City News.
“I like to know their intentions first. Some people want an allowance, some people want to do an ‘exchange’, others want to just meet up.
“Some want to see multiple people right off the bat, others want to spice up their marriage. I like to know what is your situation, what is your perfect arrangement? And I’ll let you know mine.
“When we meet, we can just treat it like a normal date.”
But what are the potential downfalls of this lifestyle?
Elizabeth Sullivan is a relationship and dating coach who has helped clients who have struggled in these arrangements before.
Elizabeth Sullivan, a dating and relationship coach, has helped both sugar babies and sugar daddies in the past. Credit: City News.
“I think one of the issues is the younger person putting the older one on a pedestal. If we want to have healthy relationships then it helps to see them as an equal. And that’s really the place where a healthy relationship comes from.
“As soon as we idolise or think they are so incredible that when problems start. If we see them as a real person, and their flaws, instead of just their good points, sugar relationships would work better.”
But what happens when arrangements go wrong?
We spoke to ‘M’ a sugar baby who wishes to remain anonymous. Her first sugar arrangement left her feeling violated and scared.
“For a long time I was homeless and a sex worker. I was in a third world town and everyone knew me. It started to get unsafe and I had to move. Sex work really was not great. And luckily there was a better option out there.
A typical message received by a sugar baby. Credit: City News.
“One of my biggest mistakes was during my very first encounter. A gentleman took advantage of me because I didn’t know how sugaring worked.
“He wanted to have unprotected anal sex and at the very last minute he said he didn’t have anything to pay me. He said he didn’t believe in setting up arrangements without doing a test run first.
“He was a fashion designer and had just come back from Bulgaria. I think he gave me the equivalent of about £50.”
So, could this become part of mainstream dating?
The world of sugaring is far more nuanced than perceived. Some sugar babies receive mentorship and companionship.
Whilst others, have been taken advantage of through the inherent power imbalances that can exist in these relationships.
Society has a way to go before it accepts sugaring as a legitimate form of dating. It is only through understanding more of these human stories that will we begin to truly understand the motivations behind entering into these arrangements.
As e-bike riders weave through London’s busiest junctions, red lights are increasingly treated as optional. One software engineer says the problem may be baked into how hire firms charge users
Deliveroo has announced its sale to U.S. rival DoorDash, but concerns linger over the controversial ‘substitute’ feature at the heart of its operations.
Inside Success Union CIC claim to empower vulnerable young people, but allegations of underpayment and concerns over their fundraising practices are undermining their message.
