“Having clarity allows you to move on and find someone who is truly interested in you, and not just treating you as an option.”Ĥ0 percent of Hinge users say they ghost because they don’t know how to explain why they don’t want to see someone again. It can be as simple as: “Hey, I enjoyed meeting you, but I don’t think we’re a romantic match.” I recommend saving a go-to message template in the notes folder on your phone and sending that message as soon as you know you’re not interested in someone. Others only consider ghosting if they’ve gone on a date and don’t hear back from a person after that. According to our research, some users define ghosting as not hearing back from a match on Hinge. Ghosting occurs when someone cuts off communication with someone without warning or explanation. We attribute that to users being more selective about who they match with, and more empathetic in how they communicate. But here’s the good news: over the course of the pandemic, we saw a 27 percent decrease in ghosting during the pandemic. Hinge users tell us that ghosting is one of the most painful parts of modern dating. In the age of the apps, ghosting can mean anything from a match who doesn’t respond to your message, to someone who you see for several weeks and then stops texting you back. Before the Internet, people would say they would call and then they wouldn’t. There’s no clear origin story for the term “ghosting,” but the concept has been around for a long time. When and how did the term “ghosting” emerge on the Internet? Below, Ury explains how you can deal with that sort of situation and shares why some may prefer to ghost than face the truth. Of course, not every online dater has abandoned the habit of ghosting. According to its 2021 New Year Dating Predictions and Resolutions Study, more than half of the Hinge community is ready to settle down and has started to implement new sustainable dating behaviors, including being more honest with their feelings and taking time to focus on themselves before diving into a relationship. On the bright side, the dating app has seen a 27 percent decrease in ghosting since the beginning of the pandemic.
However, the irony of it all is that 85 percent of the users said that they would rather be rejected immediately than be left in the dark. In a survey conducted by Hinge, some find it less hurtful to disappear than to reject someone directly, while others simply find it uncomfortable to explain why they don’t want to see that person again. Now, as we communicate on smartphone apps, it is just as easy to ghost someone you’re no longer interested in because you get to hide behind a screen. “Before the Internet, people would say they would call and then they wouldn’t,” Ury tells HYPEBAE.