Woman was thrilled when a man who promised her a 4th date wished her for Christmas — then his next move left her stunned
Dating culture has lately been labeled exhausting by individuals, but it's mostly due to inconsistent behavior. Sharing a similar ordeal, TikTok user Elle (@sparklebyellex) was excited to go out on a third date with a man who was making plans for their upcoming dates in the future. On Christmas, he wished her, but soon pulled a move which left her disappointed. On January 29, 2026, Elle revealed in her get ready with me video that the experience made her question one aspect of dating that has ruined her experience for her.
@sparklebyellex Let’s talk about ghosting culture 👻 @Hinge 🖤 #ghosting #onlinedating #moderndatingtips #ghostingculture #hinge ♬ original sound - Sparkle by Elle - UGC Creator
UK-based Elle had been going out on a date with a 32-year-old man she matched with on Hinge. While she got along with him from the get-go, he was bad at replying on time. She noted that although she found it weird, she never paid much attention to it. On their third date, she was having a great time with him. She recalled him planning what they'd be doing for their next dates, including plans for Christmas. However, on Christmas Eve, he texted her his wishes, and she replied back to him, after which she never heard from him again. She soon realized she had been ghosted by someone who was making plans for next dates. What baffled Elle the most was how he chose to text and wish her on Christmas, if he had already made up his mind on ghosting her.
"To go on the dates that we went on and then ghost me, is bizarre behavior," Elle noted. Calling the ghosting culture "coward behavior," Elle called out individuals' lack of ability to communicate their feelings, and choosing to end without notice. Elle’s bafflement isn’t unusual when you consider how pervasive disappearing acts have become in the dating world. According to a survey examining ghosting behaviour in online dating, about 74% of users reported experiencing ghosting on dating apps. People who ghosted others did so on average 3.65 times, while those who were ghosted had it happen about 2.39 times on average.
Moreover, according to Seen and Unseen, the act of abruptly cutting off an individual without intimation is considered plain cruel. "Psychologists and relationship therapists have gone from speaking of ‘ghosting’ in terms of emotional immaturity, conflict avoidance and a lack of communication skills, to regarding it as a form of cruelty and even abuse," the report notes. The report underlined that it is important to explain one's absence or silence, because to be ghosted is a form of torture.
Soon after her video went viral, many users shared that they were able to relate to her feelings. @Sam wrote, "Oh hell no…24 hours no replies and they're blocked, and I don't even care what the issue is, everyone's got 30 seconds to check in text." @Amy wrote, "I was ghosted after 5 months, he messaged me in the morning asking if I was still going to see him that day...then never heard from him again. That was two months ago, I'll never understand how people can do it." @Onika Beaut shared, "A week no reply, girl no, that’s ain’t slow texting that’s a lack of interest but just keeping you there for when his bored! If you need any dating advice hit me up girlies."
For more such fun and interesting videos, follow @sparklebyelle on TikTok.
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