Gen Z dating app has introduced an anti-ghosting feature to bring back 'basic manners and decency'

If you’re sick of being ghosted and beginning to feel that your phone might actually be haunted, you might be interested in giving Snack a go.

Snack, a Gen Z dating app that’s like a mix between Tinder and TikTok, has introduced a new feature to weed out ghosters and time wasters.

People who make a habit out of ghosting will be “deprioritised”, meaning they’re seen less, according to Refinery29.

The goal? To “bring some manners and basic decency to the dating game.”

And not before time too. Given most singletons have experienced the hurtful feeling that comes along with the radio silence, it’s good to see it being discouraged in-app.

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Snack’s anti-ghosting feature is just one of the many things apps are doing to make the online dating sphere less… like a dumpster fire.

Bumble banned body shaming and other abusive language, and Tinder started using AI to discourage unsavoury messages before they’re sent.

At least with apps making improvements, there are fewer things for us to worry about.

But why do people ghost in the first place?

Previously speaking to Indy100, sociologist and certified sexologist, sexuality and relationships expert Sarah Melancon, Ph.D said: “When we’re first dating someone new, they like us! We like them! It can feel very exciting.”

“At this stage, it’s easy to fall ‘in love’ with our fantasy of who the other person is, since we don’t know them very well.

“That excitement, however, fades as we get to know someone better, and fantasy is slowly replaced by reality.

“On average, women tend to be more emotionally intelligent than men, meaning men may get swept up in the excitement and fantasy more easily than women.”

Thus, “as the excitement fades, there isn’t much left to sustain, because on his end, it probably wasn’t as deep and meaningful of a connection as he may have thought.”

Beyond ghosting, there is a whole dictionary worth of dating trends singletons need to be aware of.

Alongside regular ghosting, there’s a new phenomenon called “soft ghosting”. This refers to when the ghoster may occasionally pop up, perhaps to like an Instagram post, but they’ll offer no genuine attempt at communication.

Stylist hits the nail on the head when writer Megan Murray pens: “Before online dating was a thing, our parents called this being strung along.”

And nobody has time for that - so maybe give “hard balling” a go when you next match with someone on an app…

To get ahead of the 2022 dating game, experts gave Indy100 the inside scoop on dating trends we can expect to see this year.

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