Emotional Toll of Ghosting: Understanding Relationships in Digital Age

September 20, 2024

Despite advancements in technology, we must acknowledge that progress often comes with challenges. As human beings, we crave genuine connections with others. We long to be heard, to share our worries, joys, and insecurities with someone who understands us. The irony is that although we know sharing our emotions with others feels good, many people today are choosing to share their deepest thoughts and feelings with online friends rather than the person sitting next to them.

One of the main reasons for this shift is that people often fail to understand the emotional needs of those physically present in their lives. Meanwhile, they grow anxious about not receiving prompt replies from online friends or acquaintances. This growing tendency to form online friendships and engage in virtual dating is a significant contributor to the increasing sense of loneliness many people feel today. It can make people feel compelled to use various social platforms to find companionship. However, with the rise of online friendships and dating has come a disturbing trend—ghosting.

Ghosting has challenged the very idea of genuine friendship. If we ask why people ghost others, there may be no clear answer. However, ghosting has become commonplace among young adults and even older individuals. People ghost others without considering the emotional harm it can cause, often failing to give the situation a second thought. The rise of ghosting, particularly with the explosion of dating apps, has had a profound impact on social relationships, including the way we interact with our romantic partners.

The Mental Health Impact of Ghosting

Ghosting can have severe psychological consequences. People are generally happier and more productive when they feel loved and cared for by others. A supportive environment promotes peace of mind and emotional well-being. Just as we prioritize physical health, mental health is equally important. Ignoring it can lead to a suffocating sense of isolation. Poor quality relationships often result in psychological distress, depression, and sadness, and many people take a long time to recover their mental state after being ghosted.

Ghosting can be a small action with devastating consequences. People may ghost others for entertainment, but they fail to realize how much emotional trauma it can cause. One of the most harmful outcomes is that ghosting can lead to trust issues, which can destroy current and future relationships. For those who have been ghosted, the pain of betrayal can kill their joy and enthusiasm for connecting with others.

While technology has given us more ways to connect, some individuals misuse these tools in ways that hurt others. The mental health dangers associated with ghosting are numerous. When someone ghosts another person, they should take the time to consider the impact from the other person’s perspective. Young adults, in particular, could benefit from education and awareness about mental health and the emotional well-being of others.

Why Rejection Is Better Than Ghosting

Rejection, while painful, is far more respectful than ghosting. Ghosting leaves the other person confused, desperate, and hurt. People deserve to have their personalities, values, and emotions respected. Ghosting often leads to a situation where both parties suffer. The person who is ghosted begins to question themselves, wondering what they did wrong, while the ghostier may later feel guilty, which can negatively affect their future relationships.

Ghosting is a form of manipulation. It forces the person who was ghosted to seek validation from the ghostier, becoming more and more addicted to the need for acknowledgment. Over time, ghosting can desensitize people, making them less empathetic or sympathetic. When ghosting becomes normalized, people may stop forming genuine connections, believing that emotional attachment only leads to pain.

The emotional impact of ghosting can vary from person to person. While some individuals may brush it off as a normal part of online dating or friendships, others may experience deep mental distress. For these people, ghosting can lead to feelings of loneliness, helplessness, anger, and overwhelming sadness.

The Psychological Impacts of Ghosting

Ghosting can create significant psychological issues. People who feel loved and supported tend to be happier and perform better in their work and personal lives. The quality of one’s relationships directly impacts their mental health. If someone experiences repeated ghosting, it can lead to psychological distress, including depression, sadness, and loneliness. This can damage a person’s self-esteem and lead to a sense of hopelessness. Recovering from this kind of emotional trauma can take a long time, and the emotional scars may linger long after the incident.

When someone ghosts another person, they may not think about the long-term consequences. But ghosting can cause the ghosted person to question their self-worth, trust others less, and feel insecure in future relationships. While ghosting is often seen as a way to avoid confrontation, it is, in reality, an emotionally damaging act that leaves the other person feeling rejected and abandoned without closure.

Research on Ghosting

Research has shown that ghosting can have severe emotional and psychological effects. A study conducted in 2020 on ghosting and breadcrumbing (the act of keeping someone interested with small, sporadic communication) among adults examined the psychological impact of these behaviours. The study found that participants who experienced breadcrumbing or ghosting reported lower levels of life satisfaction, increased feelings of helplessness, and a heightened sense of loneliness.

While ghosting may not always lead to long-term psychological issues, it can still leave a lasting emotional toll. Some individuals are able to cope with the rejection over time, but others may struggle to recover from the emotional pain caused by ghosting.

However,Ghosting has become a prevalent issue in today’s digital age, with online dating and social media making it easier for people to cut off communication without explanation. While some people may view ghosting as a convenient way to end a relationship or friendship, it is important to consider the emotional consequences for the person being ghosted.

Both young adults and older individuals need to be more aware of the emotional impact that ghosting can have on others. Understanding and respecting others' emotions, even when ending a relationship, can prevent unnecessary mental distress. We must all strive to create a more empathetic and compassionate society, where rejection is handled with care and communication, rather than avoidance and abandonment.

Be very compassionate towards others, valuing their time and respecting their emotions.

 

 

 

By Arya Krishna C K
To submit your article / poem / short story to Daijiworld, please email it to news@daijiworld.com mentioning 'Article/poem submission for daijiworld' in the subject line. Please note the following:

  • The article / poem / short story should be original and previously unpublished in other websites except in the personal blog of the author. We will cross-check the originality of the article, and if found to be copied from another source in whole or in parts without appropriate acknowledgment, the submission will be rejected.
  • The author of the poem / article / short story should include a brief self-introduction limited to 500 characters and his/her recent picture (optional). Pictures relevant to the article may also be sent (optional), provided they are not bound by copyright. Travelogues should be sent along with relevant pictures not sourced from the Internet. Travelogues without relevant pictures will be rejected.
  • In case of a short story / article, the write-up should be at least one-and-a-half pages in word document in Times New Roman font 12 (or, about 700-800 words). Contributors are requested to keep their write-ups limited to a maximum of four pages. Longer write-ups may be sent in parts to publish in installments. Each installment should be sent within a week of the previous installment. A single poem sent for publication should be at least 3/4th of a page in length. Multiple short poems may be submitted for single publication.
  • All submissions should be in Microsoft Word format or text file. Pictures should not be larger than 1000 pixels in width, and of good resolution. Pictures should be attached separately in the mail and may be numbered if the author wants them to be placed in order.
  • Submission of the article / poem / short story does not automatically entail that it would be published. Daijiworld editors will examine each submission and decide on its acceptance/rejection purely based on merit.
  • Daijiworld reserves the right to edit the submission if necessary for grammar and spelling, without compromising on the author's tone and message.
  • Daijiworld reserves the right to reject submissions without prior notice. Mails/calls on the status of the submission will not be entertained. Contributors are requested to be patient.
  • The article / poem / short story should not be targeted directly or indirectly at any individual/group/community. Daijiworld will not assume responsibility for factual errors in the submission.
  • Once accepted, the article / poem / short story will be published as and when we have space. Publication may take up to four weeks from the date of submission of the write-up, depending on the number of submissions we receive. No author will be published twice in succession or twice within a fortnight.
  • Time-bound articles (example, on Mother's Day) should be sent at least a week in advance. Please specify the occasion as well as the date on which you would like it published while sending the write-up.

Leave a Comment

Title: Emotional Toll of Ghosting: Understanding Relationships in Digital Age



You have 2000 characters left.

Disclaimer:

Please write your correct name and email address. Kindly do not post any personal, abusive, defamatory, infringing, obscene, indecent, discriminatory or unlawful or similar comments. Daijiworld.com will not be responsible for any defamatory message posted under this article.

Please note that sending false messages to insult, defame, intimidate, mislead or deceive people or to intentionally cause public disorder is punishable under law. It is obligatory on Daijiworld to provide the IP address and other details of senders of such comments, to the authority concerned upon request.

Hence, sending offensive comments using daijiworld will be purely at your own risk, and in no way will Daijiworld.com be held responsible.