‘Ghostlighting’ Is the Troubling New Dating Trend We All Should Look Out For

glamour.com:

to contend with: ghostlighting, which combines with its manipulative big brother…gaslighting.“At its core, ghostlighting is emblematic of an era where convenience trumps commitment,” says psychologist and relationships adviser Barbara Santini. “It's a marriage of ghosting—an act of emotional withdrawal—and gaslighting—the art of sowing seeds of doubt.

When someone ghostlights, they're not just exiting your life without notice; they're also spinning a web of deceit upon return, making you question the very fabric of your relationship.”For those unfamiliar with the dating dictionary wordage, used to describe the act of psychological manipulation in order to control and mislead someone in a relationship, while “ghosting” is when someone unexpectedly cuts off all communication within a relationship, causing the other person to feel disrespected and used. “Ghostlighting” combines the two toxic terms in one almightily troubling new trend.If the person you have been seeing suddenly stops speaking to you, responding to your messages, or meeting you for dates, it's only natural that you might want to ask them why—but if their responses (if any!) try to shift the blame over to you, or make you feel like you've been mistaken or are in the wrong, you may be being ghostlighted.“It normally happens when someone is confronted for ghosting,” says Jamie Johnston, co-founder of inclusive dating app . “For example, 'Hey, is everything ok, you seem distant?' might be met with, 'Well, I thought you didn't seem interested enough in me.' Their actions are now your fault.”Tina Wilson, relationship expert and founder of dating app , tells Glamour UK, “The most common sign is the narrative they will start to create.