Ghosting Long-Term Partners Becomes a Growing, Controversial Trend

Dean’s decision to cut off his partner Nicole after she embraced feminist discourse illustrates a broader shift toward ghosting in long-term relationships. Surveys from the Thriving Center of Psychology reveal that 84 % of millennials and Gen Z have been ghosted, while Vogue UK recently highlighted the pain of “disappearing boyfriends.” Dating.com has even created a paid “chief breakup officer” to handle such endings.

Psychologists like Liesel Sharabi and therapist Becca Hansel explain that social media makes ghosting easier but also more damaging, tying it to avoidant attachment and, occasionally, to escaping abusive situations. Case studies, including a Seattle woman named Ashley who vanished from a four-year partnership, show the lingering emotional toll on both parties. The piece underscores how digital norms are reshaping expectations around relationship closure.