If you’ve been dating a guy you’d like to ghost, it might please you to know that there’s an app called Ghostbot that can do the dirty work for you. Is it really a good idea, though? Eh — here’s why you should probably think twice about it:
- It makes you lazy. Ghosting someone is bad enough without relying on an app to do it. This just makes you socially lazy because it sends the person you don’t want to talk to automated responses that don’t have any enthusiasm in them, thus giving the person the hint that you aren’t interested. But um, couldn’t you just have done that yourself?
- Some people don’t get the hint. You might think a few default texts are going to be enough to put a guy off you, but you know that some guys will keep pursuing you, irrespective of how you – or a messaging system – come across. And they might not stop at texting. You might accidentally answer a call from a private number only to find yourself head-on with the guy your ghosting app was trying to diss. Awkward.
- It makes things more complicated. The Ghostbot app is able to give sarcastic replies if it detects rude or provocative messages. Such services sound good in theory because you won’t have to deal with the nasty messages yourself, but it also makes you come across as the bad guy.
- Automated replies are creepy AF. Automated replies are annoying enough when they appear in your email inbox, but they’re much worse in the dating world. Before using a ghosting app, think about how you would feel if you were on the receiving end of those messages and found out about it. It would be so creepy to think that you weren’t actually talking to the guy you liked but an app.
- It prevents you from dealing with awkward social situations. You might not be that great with delivering “It’s not you, it’s me” speeches, but it’s worth soldiering through and facing the music when you need to let someone down gently. Relying on an app is not only disrespectful but makes you less capable of dealing with such situations in future. Although ghosting technology is said to empower people, learning how to say no and being clear about what you want is the real power.
- It keeps you invested in the guy. Although you might think a ghosting app takes the slow fade into its own hands and leaves you out of it, it might actually put you more in the middle! You can’t deny that you’ll be curious to know what messages the guy has sent you and what the app is replying to him. Which means you’re still going to be giving him attention.
- The person might realize they’re not talking to you. With apps like Ghostbot, little style touches can give people the message that they’re not talking to you. For instance, the replies are all in lower case and messages can be repeated.
- You might regret it. Sometimes the Ghostbot app can be a little brutal, such as by sending a message that reads “done with you”. This could feel satisfying if the person who’s texting you is a jerk. But if this isn’t your usual style of texting or dealing with people you date, you could end up feeling guilty. That’s the risk with ghosting apps: you miss out on the chance to diss someone in your own way – or simply ignore the nasty guys, which saves you from potential drama.
