Romantic breakups have a script. Friendships never got one, which is why ghosting has become the default way people end them.
A 2026 twelve-country study found ghosting is a recognized way to end friendships and romances almost everywhere, and a 2023 US survey found about half of Gen Z and millennials have been ghosted by a close friend, with just over half admitting they've done it too. Researcher Emily Langan found friendships more often fade than end in any real conversation.
Borrow a script instead of vanishing:
- "I need more space right now" beats silence
- "We've grown in different directions" assigns no blame
- Say it directly, then stay friends at a smaller scale
A door left open, even a little, beats one quietly shut.
