Earlier quoted context omitted.
The really sad thing is that by using something (like this) to veil singleness, one cuts off any genuine interest from a genuine person. Few will initiate a date with someone texting their (unbenownst virtual) "significant other".
Thats really not how dating works, at all. Competition spurs attraction, not the other way around.
I think it actually depends upon the couple. People who care what other people think tend to date other people who care what other people think, while people who make up their own mind tend to date other people who make up their own mind. This trait seems to be more strongly assortative than pretty much anything else I've observed - intelligence, social class, beauty, etc.
So the grandparent's point is well-taken. You date folks for whom competition spurs attraction, because that's what you believe. Someone who doesn't isn't going to be attracted to someone who's always got a girl on his finger.