Ghosting

[HoneyPot]

What are everyone’s thoughts on “ghosting”?
Thanks google for this definition – “the practice of ending a personal relationship with someone by
suddenly and without explanation withdrawing from all communication.”
Is it ever ok to ghost someone? After one date? After a one-night stand?

I was seeing someone once for about a month, texting everyday and all that and he’d talk a lot about our future. Then one day it just stopped. I was pretty upset and annoyed and thought it was really immature thing to do. (Found out a week or two after the ghosting that he actually had a girlfriend AWKS WHAT AN ARSEHOLE)

THAT BEING SAID.
I’ve also ghosted people after one date, or one night stands, is that ok? What do you think the general vibe is amongst you and your friends?

[mak_trouble891]

Great topic @HoneyPot, you are so right, that guy sounds like an absolute arsehole, that is so horrible. I don’t really know would be considered right or not, but I’d say if your were seeing/talking to someone for a period of time even a week ghosting them is pretty rough, and the longer you are seeing them for the more they deserve an explanation (as hard as that is).

I’m sure its probably the ‘right’ thing to not ghost anyone but I think its ok to ghost after one date or a one night stand, I’m pretty sure I have done it.

[MintMilano]

I think its probably okay after a one-night stand. If you haven’t been texting or messaging that much then there’s not really THAT much of an expectation. If I haven’t heard from a one night stand or gotten a reply after a day or two, I just chalk it up to a one time thing and move on.

I was ghosted by a guy last year. We’d been on three really nice dates in as many weeks, and then suddenly he started taking a lot longer to reply to messages. Like, an entire day, starting with “whoops only just saw this.” I thought something was up right away, but my friends told me I was being crazy/paranoid. So I kept messaging him, trying to lock in plans we’d tentatively set. His replies got fewer and fewer until I just never heard from him again. It was upsetting, like even an “I’m not interested anymore” text would have been upsetting but at least giving some closure. I had to sit around for a week wondering whether he actually had been too busy with work, or whether he was just a jerk. 

People can usually handle the truth. And even if they can’t, they probably still deserve it. So I always make an effort for a gentle let down, at the very least. Ghosting is just awful. 

[HoneyPot]

I TOTALLY agree with both of you! I really think that after one date or a one night stand it’s ok and you don’t owe anyone anything. But you’re totally right that people can usually handle the truth and thats so much easier to deal with than wonderingggg and waitinggg for so long cause thats painful.
How can we stop people from doing this? Gosh. If we all just tell everyone we know that it’s not ok? Maybe Tinder (and other apps) should have a template “I’m not into this” texts you can send people instead of ghosting? Like, honestly people need that much basic help. It happens to my friends ALL the time and it’s so horrible.

[Purple]

Hi @HoneyPot, great discussion. I’ve ghosted plenty of times after a one night stand, and to be honest am often very surprised if people contact me after. I would also probably ghost on dating apps like Tinder if life gets in the way or I lose interest (this is if we haven’t met yet). If it’s one date and they text me after I usually say something like “Hey, just thought I’d let you know I can’t really see things continuing between us, but I thank you kindly for taking me out and wish you the very best.” If I’m not exclusive with someone I wouldn’t meet up with them to end things, but at what point do you guys think it’s best to end things with someone via text vs phone call vs meeting up? I remember a couple of years ago I dated someone for about two months and while we weren’t exclusive, I called them instead of texting them to end things. I think once you’re exclusive with someone you should definitely meet up with them to break up though. 

[MintMilano]

@Purple I reckon after one night stands is fine. A courtesy text after a single date is plenty too, I wouldn’t arrange a second meeting just to tell them you don’t want to see them again, that almost seems like twisting the knife after sticking it in. 
I guess it all kind of depends on how much you dated within the two months, re acceptability of a phone call break up. Some people might be in open relationships – how do define exclusivity for them? But if it was just a casual few dates and there hadn’t been any really serious or super deep connection, I guess a phone call is okay. When I was younger I was seeing a guy, we met right before I went on an overseas trip so we didn’t start out exclusive. When I got back we picked up where we left off, and even though we were pretty young and didn’t really bother with those “what are we?” discussions, it was almost 4 months of hanging out, meeting each others friends, valentines Day, etc. And then one day out of the blue he just messaged me saying “he wasn’t ready”, never answered any of my calls, and I never heard from him again. I was pretty invested so it was upsetting, but I guess it depends on circumstances if a break up via technology is considered acceptable. 

[MintMilano]

There’s also a variation of ghosting called submarining that I read about here and honestly it’s happened to me and I can’t actually decide which one is worse.

[Aunt_Flo]

I pretty much agree! I think if you’ve only been talking for a really short period/it’s a one night stand then it’s not so bad. I think the longer you’ve know each other or talked, the less it becomes okay. E.G. this insane story of someone ghosting a girl after LIVING together. 

[peachy]

Being ghosted after a few dates/months is horrible, sorry you both went through that @MintMilano @HoneyPot !

I’ve only experienced it after one or two dates. It’s pretty anxiety-inducing for me personally being ghosted, so I try to avoid doing it to others as much as possible. So if I get a text after a first date and I’m not interested in seeing them again I’ll just say that I didn’t feel a spark and wish them all the best. It’s hard to both type and receive that kind of message, but it’s so much kinder in the long run. 

I’d be interested to know whether anyone avoids ghosting even if you haven’t met? Like, if you’ve been having a conversation on a dating app and you don’t see it going anywhere, would you say goodbye or say you’re deleting the app then unmatch with or block them? I had this interesting conversation with a guy a few days ago who said it’s really devastating when girls match with him, they talk for a few lines and then they stop replying. It’s pretty easy to forget that it’s a real person on the other end of that conversation when you haven’t met them yet, so it’s not something I had given a lot of thought to before! 

[MintMilano]

@peachy That’s a pretty interesting idea. Is it even possible to ghost without having seem them face to face? I’ve been guilty of letting a conversation die on an app, but a lot of the time it feels like it just fizzles out and there’s not much spark, so the letting it go feels kinda mutual. If you have a lot of matches or are just testing the waters and chatting to a bunch of people to find someone suitable, it might be emotionally exhausting to have the whole “hey do I don’t think I’m into this anymore” with someone who you’ve only exchanged a few messages with. I feel like thats one aspect that the apps do a good job with – you’re not really obliged to keep engaging in that kind of tedious small talk if its not going anywhere. 

[Purple]

Definitely agree with just sending a quick text to let someone know you’re not interested if you’ve been on one date. @peachy interesting you say that, I would never dream of saying I’m not interested in talking to someone anymore on an app if I’ve never met them, best to just let it fizzle out. I’ve never felt upset over someone not responding on a dating app and to be honest if a guy is devastated about someone having not responded he’s probably not ready for the ups and downs that come from an actual relationship (and may have to work on his self esteem a bit!) Just my opinion! 

[HoneyPot]

I am learning so much this is amazing. Submarining? WOW. Full on. I’m not sure which is worse either.
And you know what @Purple I think you’re so right that there are so many ups and downs in relationships and maybe some people aren’t prepared! 
Do you get the vibe this is how your friends feel about ghosting as well? Like after a one night stand, its fine but more than that it’s not really ok?
And yeah I agree about the phone call thing! After a certain period of time, a text is not enough. And after a longer period, a phone call is not enough! And those time periods probably depend on the relationship hmm so many factors

[peachy]

@MintMilano @Purple So I decided to delete tinder yesterday and thought I’d experiment with a departing text and see what the reaction was like. Had some really interesting responses ranging from ‘we didn’t even talk that much don’t worry about it’ to ‘I really appreciate the text’. I did say it was because I had met someone, so it could’ve been a totally different response if I had said it was because I was getting sick of tinder or we don’t really have a spark. 

So I guess you just don’t know how people are going to respond to ghosting without meeting! 

[champagnepapi]

@peachy did you meet someone! that is so exciting, congratulations! 

[peachy]

@champagnepapi have only been on two dates but it’s enough to know that I don’t feel like seeing anyone else haha! Thank you!!  <3 <3

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