Don't be a ghost

When it comes to the dating world, the matching team here at dating agency and singles club RSVP likes to keep up with any new and interesting developments. Especially when it comes to new trends and terminology, the way we date is always evolving. Though sometimes not all the changes are good...

RSVP values the privacy of their members, so when we set up a match, we only release the bare minimum of details to start with. Then, if both members are keen to go ahead, we pass telephone numbers in the expectation that they will have a nice telephone conversation followed by a date. This is why the new trend of ‘Ghosting’ is disturbingly destructive.

‘Ghosting’ is when, without any warning, one half of a couple cuts off all contact with the other half and goes into complete radio silence in response to all attempts of contact. A recent article in the Sunday Times Style Magazine points out that friends are also capable of ‘ghosting’ as well. The rumour mill also suggests that Charlize Theron may have done the same to Sean Penn after a year of dating and a potential engagement, so even more long-term (and high profile) relationships are at a risk of ending this way.

In our society where we are so reliant on technology to keep in touch with one another, suddenly cutting your other half off without any explanation is a brutal way to end a relationship. It can be very damaging for anyone’s self-esteem, no matter if it’s a long-term thing or just after a couple of dates. Therefore, RSVP’s expert matching team encourages RSVP members to always be polite even if they do not wish to meet someone again after one or two dates. It is much nicer to send a text or have a gentle phone call explaining that you’ve had a good time but you don’t think you’d like to take it further, than simply ignoring the other person’s efforts at continued contact. After all, nobody ever wants to be on the receiving end of a ‘ghosting’.