New Delhi, Oct. 26 -- "He's hot." "She's bangable." " Would smash." These terms echo through dating app messages, social media captions, and even therapy rooms. What was once whispered in hushed tones has now entered mainstream conversation. Bios, reels and casual texts are loaded with this shorthand which is succinct, performative, and intensely visual. But behind this hyper-visual shorthand of attraction lies a quiet crisis: the erosion of emotional vocabulary.

Bengaluru-based psychotherapist and sex therapist Divisha Singh points out that terms such as these are rooted in objectification. "They reduce a person to their desirability in a snapshot, rather than acknowledging their humanity or depth," she says. In an environment where dat...