Have you ever been in a talking stage with someone, thinking they are finally "the one"? Until all of a sudden, they fade away and never talk to you again without giving you a reason why.
Well, this is called "ghosting" - a modern behavior in which one person abruptly stops communicating with another without warning, typically in a romantic relationship. Any person who has been ghosted could say that it is a heartbreaking experience.
But a Filipino lawmaker is taking ghosting to extremes since he believes anyone who "ghosts" should be held criminally liable. While this may sound like a silly joke, it is real, and he has proposed legislation to make it a criminal offense.
Have you been ghosted before? According to a Filipino lawmaker, "ghosting" should be treated as a criminal offense and he has recently proposed legislation about it to the country's Congress.
"Emotional Cruelty"
House of Representatives member Arnolfo Teves Jr. described ghosting as "a form of emotional cruelty and should be punished as an emotional offense."
Teves cited research showing that experiencing social rejection triggers the same neurological pathways as experiencing physical pain. In his view, ghosting s a sort of spite that generates sentiments of rejection and neglect, and he asserted that the emotional cost could affect productivity.
Although Teves recommended community service in an interview, the measure does not mention particular penalties.
However, the definitions set by the proposed legislation are a bit confusing.
As reported first by Engadget, the document defines ghosting as something that occurs when a person is "engaged in a dating relationship," and it goes on to define a dating relationship as one in which the parties live together without getting married or are "romantically involved over time and on a continuing basis."
Teves noted that a dating relationship could not be formed by regular socialization or casual acquaintances. So if an online fling has ghosted you, Teves' bill will not work for you.
Read also: Online Dating During the Pandemic: Data Suggest Singles are Dating More and Ghosting Less
Will The Legislation Be Passed Into Law?
According to him, ghosting has negative psychological impacts on the victim, which worsen as they attempt to understand the motivation behind being ghosted.
Ghosting, according to Teves, can be likened to a type of "emotional cruelty" because it leaves the victim traumatized because there is "no real closure."
The Washington Post claims that there is a low probability of the proposed legislation being passed into law. The Philippine Congress usually dismiss this legislation, especially if it does not adhere to national interests.
Filipino internet users ridiculed the legislation on social media, saying that it was meant to divert attention from more pressing problems like the nation's skyrocketing inflation.
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Written by Joaquin Victor Tacla
