The Subtle Difference Between Ghosting And Zombieing, Because Let's Make Dating More Complicated

LOL, I literally cannot keep up with all these dating terms at this point. First, there was ghosting. You know, that thing where the guy you really like disappears from your life without warning. Then, there was breadcrumbing, where the person you're interested in leads you on by giving you little crumbs of attention, with no intention of committing to you at all.

And now, there is a very fun thing called zombieing. What is zombieing, you ask? Well, it's kind of like ghosting, but it involves one extra step: The guy who dissed you tries to come back from the grave.

If you are confused by these two terms and your dating life in general, let me break it down for you a little further.

What Is Zombieing Exactly?

Basically, if you were zombied by someone, it means that this person disappeared from your life out of nowhere, but then popped back up in your life with a text or a "like" on social media — essentially coming back from the dead, according to Sophia Kercher of PrimeMind.

Hands up if you are currently being zombied right now. Every single person reading this article has their hand raised? Wow. What a surprise.

When you go on a few dates with someone, and then they suddenly go MIA, but then, they watch an Instagram story or like a Facebook status, you're definitely being zombied. Just got a text from a guy who stopped talking to you several months ago that just says "hey stranger, how r u?" Well, now you know what's happening.

I recently had an ex from three years ago — whom I had not spoken to since we broke up — Venmo me $1 out of nowhere. If that's what Zombieing, I don't like it or want it in my life.

How Is Ghosting Different?

Ghosting is when someone disappears from your life completely without notice — and they don't come back. Maybe you've gone on a few dates with someone, and then, you never hear from them again, or you've been seeing a person for several months, and they suddenly stop returning your texts.

If you try to reach out or make plans, the person attempting to ghost you will say they're super busy with work right now, or they have the flu, or they were just in the middle of something — can they get back to you in, like, an hour? There's no point.

Once you've been ghosted, then usually they're gone for good... that is, until zombieing comes into play. There's no use in asking for closure — that's exactly what ghosters are trying to avoid.

But hey, next time you find yourself asking if you've been ghosted or zombied, maybe just move on instead. Keep your relationship dead and buried, where it belongs.

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