Flirt Glossary – Ghosting
“Ghosting” is a relatively new phenomenon. It is a trendy term that has recently emerged and is generally understood to mean that someone simply disappears from life, becoming a ghost, so to speak.
In the area of online dating, ghosting usually means that one of the two partners who met online suddenly and unexpectedly stops contacting you, no longer responds to messages and calls, and suddenly disappears completely from the other's life.
This usually happens after you've dated someone a few times. But it can also happen during the chatting or emailing phase that there is suddenly complete radio silence at the other end of the line.
The other party simply doesn't contact you anymore, and sometimes you are even blocked on all communication channels. Although this phenomenon also occurs in longer relationships, it is particularly common in shorter dating relationships that were initiated over the Internet.
For those affected, the burning question usually remains: How does someone come to become a ghost? How does someone come to the conclusion that they don't show another human being the slightest bit of respect?
From a psychological perspective, this behavior is probably a mixture of social incompetence and excessive demands. Since for some people online dating is almost like an assembly line and therefore a certain dullness occurs, another attempt at explanation is made. Because subconsciously, getting to know each other quickly also implies the possibility of quickly forgetting for many people. The next opportunity is already waiting behind the next profile.
“Ghosting” may be easy for the “ghoster,” but for the “ghosted,” it often means hell. Some of them suffer greatly from it and need a lot of time to allow the wounds to heal. We become more and more jaded by such trends, get used to ignorance, emotional coldness and a lower appreciation of human feelings, and carry this on.
The following things can be particularly important as tips for those affected
- Recognize the reasons (if possible)
- Discontinue contact if there is no reaction from the other person
- Process the situation
- Don't blame yourself
- Closure – allow feelings such as anger and disappointment
- Keep living and stay optimistic – distraction and focusing on friends or hobbies can help
