Richard Slatcher, a professor in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences department of psychology, spoke with CNN about ghosting.
When it comes to dating apps, ghosting can be a simple and efficient way to end one of multiple connections someone is entertaining, Slatcher said. The more anonymous someone is, the easier it is to dehumanize them. How much we owe a person in those early stages isn’t a universally agreed-upon concept.
Ghosting becomes particularly attractive to people who are avoidant and dislike interactions that might involve conflict.
According to Slatcher, those who tend to ghost for this reason are likely avoiding conflict in other areas of their life.
Sometimes, the decision to ghost isn’t consciously made. Many people tend to mentally cast aside the issue because they don’t feel like dealing with it at that moment, often forgetting to respond at all.
“Some people are just terrible at responding on text and just can’t get their act together,” Slatcher said.
If you’ve been ghosted, Slatcher recommended not to dwell on it too much, especially because that person isn’t thinking about you. While he recognized that this is easier said than done, he added that there are healthy ways to distract yourself like exercising and listening to music.