The word “ghosting” may be a new term, but it is not a new practice. With new forms of technology in the world, constant communication has become the norm. But what happens when the person you strike up a casual fling with falls off the face of the earth?

Ghosting can be shown through ignoring calls and messages with no explanation and cancelling plans constantly to avoid an awkward situation. This disappearing act can appear selfish, and it shows a lack of concern for the one who is being ignored.

This concept has become a common trend for anyone who is a member of the dating world. Being the ghostee can be difficult, especially when you think things were going well. There could be many reasons as to why someone would ghost another, but the main reason is simply not wanting to hurt the other person’s feelings or avoiding confrontation.

“I feel that the person is just hoping that the other person will catch on and not have any hard feelings about it, but that is usually not the case,” Vita Lindquist, sophomore in psychology, said.

The level of anguish after being ghosted can vary. If the couple had only gotten together once and things weren’t clicking for one person, then the chance of being ghosted is high. However, for those who have gone on multiple dates and felt a real connection, being ghosted can be a really painful thing.

While being ghosted is an uncomfortable and hurtful thing, sometimes it can be justified.

“Ghosting is perfectly fine with casual things and exes, but if you have been talking or dating a person for a while, you should give an explanation,” McKinley Nelson, senior in journalism, said.

The rejection can take a toll on a person’s mental state and make them question more than just the interaction. Not responding and not explaining yourself can say a lot more than simply telling the ghostee the truth. The ghoster’s main purpose for cutting off communication is the hope that the other person will get the hint.

Even though ghosting is hurtful, it can sometimes be justified. According to Psychology Today, many people ghost another to avoid feeling awkward due to fear or because they can’t identify how they actually feel about the other person.

Other times, ghosting occurs because people have been the victim of it so many times that they are desensitized to it, resulting in them ghosting another person.

In order to not cause a scene, the ghoster tries to avoid the weirdness of the situation and hopefully come out of it with no consequences. If the ghosters could put themselves in the shoes of the ghostees, or remember how it felt when it happened to them, they may have more of a sense of remorse and sympathize with their side.