Disappearing from a relationship – of any nature – without prior explanation has a name. O ghosting, from the English “to become a ghost”, is like the famous “going to buy cigarettes and not coming back”, said one twitter user. On this and other networks, it has become increasingly common to hear reports of those who have been abandoned.
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For victims, the pain of uncertainty has repercussions in real symptoms and, in 2021, a research identified higher levels of anxiety not only in those who “took ghosting” but also ghosters.
How is mental health?
Being ignored despite attempts at rapprochement creates, especially, the feeling of insufficiency and rejection, as shown in another recent research published by Estadão. This is because, when the reasons for separation or interruption of communication are not known, it is common for the person “left aside” to try to fill this space by imagining answers in their own right. loop. And this is not something for “crazy” people or too attached. Actually, research from University College London (Nature*) showed that stress is a subjective and physiological response induced in situations in which humans have to deal with the unexpected.
Whether by email, phone call, social media apps, of relationship (UOL), experiences with the ghosting they often revolve around the difficulty or inability to explicitly end an interaction.
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In the technological scene there is no materiality and, often, we are almost anonymous in distant worlds. During the period of social isolation, the virtual space gained even more strength. “We live in the era of 'no time, brother'. This makes ties vulnerable and ends up making the person feel entitled to simply disappear, so as not to have the trouble of managing the consequences of their own decision. Reflections of a globalization that solves everything at the push of a button”, says artist Valmir Liz. For him, the lack of face-to-face communication can contribute to irresponsibility in relationships.
Ghosting in debate in Brazil
Interest in this term peaked on June 20, 2021, the day after Fantástico explained (g1) what it is and what are some of the emotional impacts of ghosting, especially among female victims.
The reports often involve relationship endings that did not happen, because one of the spouses just stopped responding and disappeared. But ghosting isn't just about that. Communication with work partners, hairdresser, and academic environment. In fact, the situation can happen in any relationship.
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Despite the matter being extremely serious and involving real consequences for the health and quality of life of those involved, the internet approaches the topic with good humor, creating very ironic memes about the phenomenon.
