Advertisement
This ad is displayed using third party content and we do not control its accessibility features.
Close Banner
Advertisement
This ad is displayed using third party content and we do not control its accessibility features.

In Friendships & Romantic Relationships, Ghosting Comes At A Cost, Study Finds

Sarah Regan
Author:
September 11, 2024
Sarah Regan
mbg Spirituality & Relationships Editor
By Sarah Regan
mbg Spirituality & Relationships Editor
Sarah Regan is a Spirituality & Relationships Editor, and a registered yoga instructor. She received her bachelor's in broadcasting and mass communication from SUNY Oswego, and lives in Buffalo, New York.
two women sitting at a couch, one looking somber
Image by MStudioImages / iStock
September 11, 2024

Whether you've been ghosted, you've ghosted someone else, or both, we're all familiar with the concept of leaving a message (or messages) unanswered indefinitely.

And while it's obviously no fun to be ghosted, research on the impact of ghosting published in the journal Telematics and Informatics1 reveals there's still more to understand about this dating phenomenon. Here's what they found.

Studying the effects of ghosting

For this study, researchers from the University of Vienna in Austria wanted to dig deeper into an understudied part of ghosting: ghosting in friendships. Namely, they wanted to look at why people ghost romantic partners versus friends, plus the impact it has on both the person who was ghosted, and the "ghoster" themselves.

To do so, they surveyed young people about ghosting and its impact, asking questions about communication overload, self-esteem, depressive tendencies, etc.

And based on the responses, there appear to be very different motivations for ghosting different people. Namely, participants reported ghosting romantic partners due to communication overload (as in, feeling like they were barraged by texts), while ghosting in friendship had more to do with self-esteem issues.

"Ghosting friends is predicted by one's self-esteem," the study authors write, adding that most notably, "Ghosting others within romantic relationships did not yield any effects on well-being, whereas ghosting friends increased depressive tendencies over time, demonstrating that ghosting is not only harmful to those who are ghosted but can also negatively impact those who ghost others."

So while the findings of this study are nuanced, it's clear that no one wins when ghosting is involved. And namely, if one of your friends is ghosting you, you might want to check up on them.

Knowing that ghosting friendships is correlated with an increase in depressive tendencies, the study authors note that further research is needed to explore the connection between mental health and ghosting. "Depending on the relationship ghosting occurs in, it is rooted in different antecedents and can have distinct detrimental effects for ghosters' well-being," they add.

The takeaway

If you were ghosted by a romantic interest, there's a high likelihood they might have been experiencing communication overload. However, if you were ghosted by a friend, it's more likely they're dealing with something mental-health-related.

In either case, this study highlights that the phenomenon of ghosting isn't doing any favors for anyone.

Watch Next

Enjoy some of our favorite clips from classes

Watch Next

Enjoy some of our favorite clips from classes

What Is Meditation?

Mindfulness/Spirituality | Light Watkins

Box Breathing

Mindfulness/Spirituality | Gwen Dittmar

What Breathwork Can Address

Mindfulness/Spirituality | Gwen Dittmar

The 8 Limbs of Yoga - What is Asana?

Yoga | Caley Alyssa

Two Standing Postures to Open Up Tight Hips

Yoga | Caley Alyssa

How Plants Can Optimize Athletic Performance

Nutrition | Rich Roll

What to Eat Before a Workout

Nutrition | Rich Roll

How Ayurveda Helps Us Navigate Modern Life

Nutrition | Sahara Rose

Messages About Love & Relationships

Love & Relationships | Esther Perel

Love Languages

Love & Relationships | Esther Perel

Related Videos (10)

What Is Meditation?

Box Breathing

What Breathwork Can Address

The 8 Limbs of Yoga - What is Asana?

Two Standing Postures to Open Up Tight Hips

How Plants Can Optimize Athletic Performance

What to Eat Before a Workout

How Ayurveda Helps Us Navigate Modern Life

Messages About Love & Relationships

Love Languages

Advertisement
This ad is displayed using third party content and we do not control its accessibility features.

More On This Topic

more Relationships
Advertisement
This ad is displayed using third party content and we do not control its accessibility features.
Advertisement
This ad is displayed using third party content and we do not control its accessibility features.