A growing number of people are ending long-term relationships by "ghosting" — cutting off contact and blocking their partner without explanation — rather than having a conversation. WIRED spoke to several people who abruptly severed relationships lasting well over a year this way, some of whom say they feel no remorse and consider it the right decision, reflecting a wider shift in how dating apps and social media have changed norms around communication and accountability in relationships.

The piece cites a Thriving Center of Psychology survey finding that 84 percent of millennials and Gen Z have been ghosted at the end of a relationship, and notes that while ghosting is common among people first meeting via apps, it has increasingly spread to established, multi-year partnerships. It references Vogue UK's coverage of "the disappearing boyfriend" trend, and mentions that Dating.com has begun offering a paid "chief breakup officer" service, charging $3,000 a month to end relationships on clients' behalf.