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The Bridge: While Zoomer romances and friendships are often presented as mature and based on mutual respect and accountability, there can be a…darker aspect to them. Ghosting, a term we’re confident you’ve heard of, has become a popular method of communication, without actually communicating. From reality television to TikTok, you can’t escape stories of confused (and oftentimes angry) Gen Zers recounting the disorienting experience of being ghosted.
Can you blame them? One day you’re sending memes and voice notes back and forth, and the next…silence. Read on to learn all about this spooky phenomenon, just in time for Halloween!
Who Ya Gonna Call?
If there’s one term we’re sure you know, it’s this one we’ve got queued up just in time for Halloween.
This week’s lingo is “Ghosting”, a cultural phenomenon (typically in dating) where one party suddenly stops communicating with the other.
Zoomers are pretty conflicted about the ethics surrounding such things. Some are of the mind that ghosting is a form of communication – the lack of response being a response in-and-of-itself, while others find it inconsiderate and traumatizing. Where some people see a grisly gaping wound where a person used to be (triggering much?), others see closure.
We see both sides.
Despite the moral outrage, we feel pretty confident in saying that ghosting isn’t going anywhere. In fact, there’s been an increase in people ghosting their employers recently. Talk about tables turning!
Speaking of tables, reference the one below to make sure you’re using ghosting correctly during this spooky season.
“Ghosting” – The sudden cessation of all communication, usually from a friend or romantic partner.
“Soft Blocking” – The act of removing someone from your following list, and unfollowing them, but not going so far as to actively block them. A hallmark in ghosting circumstances.
“Ghosted” – A tricky term. Describes both the act of ghosting someone and the state of being after ghosting. “I ghosted them” vs. “I was ghosted”.
“👻” – The ghost emoji, which is often used when describing a ghosting experience, or angrily texted to a ghoster once one realizes they’ve been ghosted.
Have you ever been ghosted? Let us know in our comments. Make sure to follow our TikTok: @thegenbridge!
