Text Me When You Miss Me (Or Don’t): The Politics of Modern Ghosting

There’s a moment in every modern romance when the phone becomes a stranger — no notifications, no “good morning” texts, no late-night memes. Just… silence. And in that silence lives the great unknown: ghosting.

Ghosting is the new heartbreak — a digital disappearing act that leaves you scrolling through old messages, analyzing every emoji, every typo, every “LOL” like a detective on a cold case.

But here’s the thing about ghosting: it’s less about them and more about us. The people who wait, who hope, who wonder if “no reply” really means “no feelings.” It’s a test of patience and pride, but mostly pride.

“Text me when you miss me,” we say — or don’t say, because sometimes saying nothing is the loudest message of all.

Ghosting is the ultimate power play. It’s a withdrawal without confrontation, a goodbye without closure. It’s modern dating’s equivalent of leaving a party without saying goodbye — except now, it feels like you’re the only one still at the party, standing by the door.

But maybe it’s time we stop blaming the ghosters and start questioning why we let silence speak so loudly. Why do we give so much power to a “read” receipt or a vanished conversation? Why do we stay in limbo, hoping for a text that might never come?

Maybe, just maybe, the true glow-up isn’t waiting for the phone to buzz. It’s putting it down, stepping out, and realizing your worth isn’t measured by someone else’s WiFi signal.

So, next time you’re tempted to obsess over the unanswered text, remember: sometimes not texting back is the best answer you’ll ever get.

Because darling, ghosting might be the politics of modern dating — but you, you’re the queen rewriting the rules.