About
“Ghosting” is an Internet slang term referring to the practice of suddenly ceasing all communication with another person or disappearing from an event without saying goodbye. In recent years, the term has become largely associated with casual dating.
Origin
On August 29th, 2006, Urban Dictionary[1] user pfidr34 submitted an entry for “ghosting,” defining it as “the act of disappearing on your friends without notice.”
Spread
On November 27th, 2013, Urban Dictionary[2] user Ghostface Illa submitted an entry for “ghosting,” which defined the term as a way to break up with someone by ending all contact. On March 24th, 2014, the dating blog The Date Report[6] published an article titled “And Then I Never Heard From Him Again: The Awful Rise of Ghosting,” which speculated that matchmaking applications like Tinder were responsible for an increase in ghosting in casual relationships. The following day, The Daily Dot[5] published an article titled “Are dating apps to blame for ‘ghosting’?” On June 26th, 2015, The New York Times[3] published an article about breaking up with a romantic partner via ghosting. On July 2nd, The Daily Dot[4] published an article defending the practice of ghosting in certain circumstances. On July 22nd, The Independent[7] published an article titled “Ghosting: what to do if you’ve been a victim,” describing how to deal with being ignored by a love interest.
Search Interest
External References
[1]Urban Dictionary – ghosting
[2]Urban Dictionary – ghosting
[3]The New York Times – Exes Explain Ghosting, the Ultimate Silent Treatment
[4]The Daily Dot – Ghosting is the worst way to break up with someone--until you’re the ghost
[5]The Daily Dot – Are dating apps to blame for ghosting?
[6]The Date Report – And Then I Never Heard From Him Again