Get to know the new bad behaviors in social networks: ghosting, zombieing, breadcrumbing, orbiting, benching, hunting and cushioning

Since social networks have become popular around the world, new behaviors have become commonplace. People get to know each other through digital media and develop interpersonal relationships of all kinds. As users get to know each other, it may happen that one of the parties involved does not want to get to know the other person and therefore prefers to avoid him or her because he or she does not like the way he or she is. This circumstance gives rise to certain behaviors that have become common in social media: ghosting, zombieing, breadcrumbing, orbiting, benching, hunting and cushioning. Each one has its own meaning and it is convenient to know beforehand to know what to do if someone you know follows any of the mentioned behaviors.

Ghosting

Ghosting consists of disappearing unexpectedly and for no apparent reason. The "ghost" suddenly does not respond to messages from a person with whom he or she had frequent contact through dating apps or social networks. Some people ghosting can be blocked to prevent being contacted by the person they want to avoid. You can also do ghosting without blocking the other person, since you can mute conversations on WhatsApp.

Orbiting

Orbiting occurs when a person who was part of your life disappears without disappearing completely and continues to orbit your social networks. They interact from time to time from a distance, through messages or comments. That person does not want to disappear completely from your life, that's why he/she makes himself/herself noticed in this way.

Zombieing

Zombieing is when someone reappears in your life out of nowhere. They are people who at first seem to have disappeared, but suddenly they talk to you again through the social network where you were in contact before their unexplained disappearance. Sometimes you excuse yourself in some way trying to justify their disappearance but sometimes you don't even take that detail into account.

Breadcrumbing

Breadcumbing occurs when interaction is very low, but one of the two people still wants to keep the other person's attention. This type of person only provides small doses of digital interaction on social networks: likes and reactions on Instagram or Facebook, but does not get emotionally involved or respond to your private messages.

Benching

Benching would be leaving someone aside in a rather subtle way. It starts in a very similar way to ghosting but the difference is that while in the first case the person disappears forever from the networks, in benching the contact can continue interacting minimally: making very simple comments, giving a like to your posts, etc. In any case, the objective is not to deepen the interaction. For this reason he will not start real conversations again. Don't be surprised if one day he tries an approach to get your attention again.

Cushioning

Cushioning is done by someone who has a partner but uses another person to find comfort. Instead of dealing with the problem, they use social networks to make themselves feel better. The person behind the screen is just entertainment to ease their personal situation but they have no intention of bonding. Sometimes they create a Tinder account and just interact intermittently. They flirt to feel desired and may purposely raise the tone of the conversation with one or more people on dating apps and social networks.

Hunting

Haunting consists of continuously following someone's social networks without interacting at all in order not to be noticed. He/She can be a simple follower who admires the work of the person he/she follows but it can also happen that the "haunter" is an ex-partner in spy mode catching up on your new life. In haunting the person does not interact, he/she is only content to know about you.