NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – You think you’ve struck up a new relationship, but contact from the other person stops out of nowhere, and you’re left to wonder what happened. The practice of “ghosting” is unfortunately a common occurrence in modern dating. But which states are you most likely to be ghosted?
A new study by Forbes Health/OnePoll survey polled 5,000 people in the U.S. who have actively dated in the past five years. The survey asked whether the people had been ghosted and at what point in the relationship did the ghosting occur.
“Ghosting is the unfortunate act of people not being able [or willing] to communicate a disinterest at some point in the process,” explains Rufus Tony Spann, Ph.D, a certified sex therapist and Forbes Health Advisory Board member. “Unfortunately, ghosting can be the byproduct of breadcrumbing [being strung along by a romantic partner giving minimal effort], dating, situationships and relationships, when someone doesn’t provide honesty about how they currently feel.”
According to the study, 76% of those who responded have either ghosted or been ghosted themselves. Nearly 60% say they have been ghosted and 45% say they have ghosted another person.
When the study broke down which states are the worst offenders, New Mexico tied for fourth place along with Arizona and New Hampshire. All three reported 85% of responders having either been ghosted or the cause of ghosting.
The survey said both men and women are nearly equally to blame for the habit. Forty-four percent of males and 47% of women are guilty of ghosting someone. Men are more likely to admit that they've been ghosted at 64% than 57% of females.
While Rhode Island, North Dakota, and Wyoming are at the top of the list of worst state offenders, some of the states with the lowest rate of ghosting are Oregon, Hawaii, Michigan, and California.
Data for this study was collected from August 2 through August 16 of 2023.
