There’s something a bit off about dating apps these days. The idea of swiping left or right on someone you don’t really know seems quaint in comparison to the nasty dating phenomenon orbiting ghosten was yesterday. This trend consists of people posting screenshots of their Worst First Date stories in order to warn other potential daters about the types of people they should avoid. And it’s not just people who have had bad dates; even people who have had good ones can get dragged into the negativity. It seems like the whole world is conspiring to make dating suck. But at least we can laugh at ourselves now, right?
A new dating trend is spreading on social media: the phenomenon is called “orbiting”. And it’s the nasty little sister of ghosting.
Orbiting: The New Ghosting?
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Orbiting is a new way of ghosting someone. Rather than disappearing completely, you simply stop responding to their messages, leaving them to wonder if you’ve stopped liking them or if you’re just busy. The purpose of orbiting is to create a sort of ambiguous tension, making the other person wonder whether or not they’ve done something wrong. It’s a way of testing the waters to see if you still have a connection with someone before completely cutting them off.
Helge Schneider, 64, recently said: “Instagram, that’s exhibitionism, not culture. When you’re on stage, there’s an audience and they can’t take you and look at you again and again or send it or write to you or something like that. ” Helge is certainly someone who still – very old-school – picks up the telephone (with a turntable) when he has something to say to someone. No matter how painful it is. Unfortunately, this straightforwardness, this decency and this courage can no longer be taken for granted in 2022. Since social media have dominated our everyday lives, new, disturbing net phenomena have been popping up all the time. Thank you digitization! After “” , “Orbiting” has gotten on our nerves recently: people move in your orbit, your orbit, without ever really getting close to you. A (dating) phenomenon from the series “Things the world doesn’t need” (but deserved, Helge Schneider would say).
Orbiting artificially keeps relationships alive
A relationship can be kept alive by orbiting artificially. Artificial orbiting keeps couples connected by providing a sense of permanence and security that is otherwise unavailable in the natural world. It gives people the opportunity to share memories and experiences without the worry of losing touch. Couples can also stay in touch by sending each other messages and photos.
Imagine a person – whether partner, promising flirt, colleague or long-time friend – no longer has contact with you in real life, but still likes EVERYTHING you post on social media . This is pretty confusing. I myself once had an almost legendary unsuccessful date with a man who explained to me for half an hour why he found women over 30 “exhausting” and why I was “rather not that” his type in particular. It was logical that I fled quickly and was happy that I would never have to see the guy again.
Then the shock came the next day: My horror date had all my accounts – for professional reasons I run different profiles in different networks – with likes, heart emojis and sugar-sweet comments like “Hey, beautiful! Have a great day <3″ overwhelmed. And I’m just like: Huh? He had even visited my job profile on the Xing business network. He was also interested in practically every event I (according to Facebook) wanted to attend in the next few weeks.
A friend experienced something similar. A man she was very much in love with ghosted her after two months together, which hurt her deeply and threw her quite a bit off track. Just as she was feeling better, she found that her ex had liked all of her photos on Facebook – scrolling down her timeline to 2013, which must have taken a long time.
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My girlfriend was upset and racking her brains about what it all meant (spoiler: usually not much). And that is exactly what makes the orbiters a real danger to our psyche: they do not let us rest and often tear freshly healed wounds open again. One wonders, to put it in the words of Herbert Grönemeyer: “What’s the point, how did I deserve this?” Here are a few attempts at interpretation:
Explanation #1: Orbiting out of uncertainty
orbiting out of uncertainty can be seen as a form of self-imposed exile in which a person chooses to live without knowing for certain whether they will be returning home one day. This may be done in order to avoid the fear or anticipation of something unpleasant, or in order to focus on something else. By living in a state of uncertainty, the individual is able to explore new opportunities and possibilities, and to make decisions with less fear of the future.
Orbiters suffer from inner turmoil. You have trouble making up your mind. What if the “right one” was already there? That’s why, to be on the safe side, they let their ex-flirts continue to simmer lukewarm on the back burner. “You have one foot in the door and one foot out,” says dating expert Persia Lawson. “It’s a way for them to signal that they’re still here without having to be in a relationship, while keeping the lines of communication open if they ever feel like starting it up again.”
Explanation #2: Orbiting out of solitude
Orbiting out of solitude may be the only way to ensure the preservation of a species. The only other option is to crash land on a new planet, and that may not be possible. The satellites are launching a new study to see if there are any other habitable planets that could be a potential home for the pandas.
In a way, orbiting forms the counter-trend to the wipe-and-go society that Tinder and Co. have created in recent years. Exiles are no longer deleted – but continue to be “maintained” like a Tamagotchi. Orbiting is the nasty little sister of Let’s Stay Friends, especially in the Disabled generation. Orbiters feel better when they can see how you are doing (without them) from time to time. Maybe they just urgently need followers.
Explanation #3: Orbiters are narcissistic
There is a lot of research that supports the idea that orbiters are narcissistic. One study found that narcissism is more common in people who are interested in spaceflight. This might be because spaceflight is seen as an opportunity to be the best in the world, and narcissists feel like they need to be the best in order to be accepted. Another study found that people who are interested in spaceflight are more likely to be self-centered and have a sense of entitlement. This means that they believe that they are superior to other people and that they deserve special treatment. Finally, a study found that people who are interested in spaceflight are more likely to have a higher need for admiration. They are also more likely to be insecure and to have a low self-esteem. Taken together, these studies suggest that people who are interested in spaceflight are more likely to be narcissist.
With their likes, the orbiters want to brutally recall their ex-flirts again and again. This gives them a sense of power.
Explanation #4: Orbiting equals stupidity
There’s something inherently circular and stupid about orbiting around Earth. It’s like a dog chasing its own tail. It’s not efficient or practical, and it’s not very sustainable. It’s also not very safe. If something were to happen to our planet and we were to lose our orbit, we would be risking our entire species. And it’s not like we’d be the only ones affected. Our orbit also affects the environment around us, and we need to be mindful of that. If we keep orbiting around Earth, we’re only going to make things worse. We need to come up with a more sustainable and practical way to live our lives.
The orbiters don’t even know that others can see when they look at their Instagram stories or Xing profiles. A little warning for orbiters: Facebook always suggests people as friends who have recently looked at their own profile. So we’re on to you, you stalkers.
We need to stop this nonsensical trend on social media of people posting pictures of themselves eating junk food and criticizing others for eating healthy. This is not healthy or helpful for anyone. We need to be encouraging one another to eat healthier and be more mindful of our own health, not attacking one another. We need to start being more positive and supportive of one another, and stop shaming one another. Let’s start to focus on being healthy, happy, and positive, and stop bashing each other for eating unhealthy foods.
But doesn’t it really matter why someone is circling you? In any case, orbiting is a huge mindfuck – and demands severe sanctions. The culprits do not deserve our attention and should therefore be deleted, blocked and banned immediately on all channels. Otherwise things get pretty asocial on social media at some point.
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”What does orbiting mean in dating?”
“Orbiting” is one of those digital dating terms that perfectly defines what many of us have experienced but didn’t know there was a word for. It’s when someone you were dating tells you they are no longer interested, but keeps you in their orbit by engaging with you on social media.
When two people are dating, one of the things they might be doing is orbiting around each other. This means that the person is spending time with the other person and getting to know them better. It is important for both people to feel comfortable with the relationship and to feel like they are getting to know each other. This is a gradual process and it can take time for people to get to know each other.
What is the ghosting phenomenon?
The term refers to the act of “disappearing” from someone’s life, ceasing all contact with that person without any explanation and typically ignoring any contact attempts. While it is more common in personal relationships, “ghosting” also occurs in professional relationships.
As humans, we are social creatures. We crave the companionship of others and often times, we depend on them for support. When we don’t receive that support, it can leave us feeling lonely, abandoned, and even scared. This is what is known as the “ghosting phenomenon.”
Ghosting is a term used to describe the act of abruptly ending a relationship without any warning or explanation. Ghosting can be done intentionally or unintentionally, but it has the same effect on the person who is being ghosted. Ghosting can leave them feeling confused, abandoned, and even scared.
Ghosting can be a difficult experience for anyone to go through, but it is especially difficult for those who have invested time and energy into a relationship. Ghosting can leave a person feeling vulnerable and alone, which can have a negative impact on their mental and physical health.
Although ghosting can be a difficult experience, it is important to remember that it is not always intentional. Sometimes, relationships end for reasons that are beyond either party’s control. Regardless of the reason, it is important to respect the boundaries of both parties and to communicate clearly and directly when something is not working.
Why is he orbiting me after ghosting?
Basically, it’s the term for when someone you dated (usually a person who ghosted you or broke things off because they weren’t interested) continues to like all of your Instagram selfies and watch all your stories religiously. I have a bunch of orbiters in my life.
After he ghosted me, I started to feel like there was an orbit around me. I felt like he was always there, watching me and waiting for me to make a move. I was really insecure and I didn’t know how to talk to him again. But I decided to give it a try and talk to him. We talked for hours and we had a great conversation. We both felt really good about it. I don’t know what happened after that, but I’m really happy we talked and I’m grateful for the experience.
How long with no contact is considered ghosting?
While every relationship is different, three days is enough time to consider yourself ghosted. Sure, everyone has emergencies or can come up with a valid excuse for not responding, but letting things linger for three days or longer is enough to categorise it as a ghosted situation.
Ghosting is when a person cuts off all contact with another person, usually without any explanation. It can be considered rude and hurtful, and can leave the person feeling confused and abandoned. There is no set amount of time that constitutes as long as no contact is being maintained, as it can depend on the situation and the people involved. Some people believe that maintaining no contact for a period of six months is the standard amount of time that is considered to be long enough for the other person to know that you’re done with them. Other people believe that maintaining no contact for a period of indefinitely is the ideal way to break up with someone, as the other person will eventually lose hope that you will ever return. It’s important to remember that there is no right or wrong answer when it comes to how long to maintain no contact with someone, as it depends on the situation and the people involved.
How do you tell if someone is orbiting you?
“[If] they ghosted you and didn’t put any effort in the beginning but they still watch your social media accounts, this is called orbiting in the dating world in an era where everyone is constantly keeping tabs on each other,” she says.
When someone is orbiting you, they are moving around you in a circular path. This is typically done in an attempt to intimidate or control you. If someone is orbiting you, it is important to take a step back and evaluate the situation.
