Teen Slang · Dating & relationships

What does “Ghosting” mean?

Suddenly cutting off all contact with no explanation. 'He ghosted me.'

Where “Ghosting” comes from

Dating-app era term that entered dictionaries around 2015.

Why teens actually say it

Names a painful but common modern experience — being silently dropped.

What it means for you as a parent

A real source of hurt. A good opening to talk about kindness, closure, and how digital distance makes ghosting easy.

How it’s used

  • “We talked for weeks and then he just ghosted me.” Hurt and confused by sudden silence. A real sting.
  • “She’s been ghosting the whole group chat lately.” Noticing someone went quiet without explanation. A little worried.

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