So even the fabulously famous aren't immune to being "ghosted." On a recent BBC podcast, American pop megastar Billie Eilish said she and someone she'd known for years had arranged to meet, but he didn't show up and she "never heard from him again."
Eilish, who's 22, said she later saw that he was dating someone. "And I was like ‘oh.’ But I didn’t know people still did that. I genuinely didn’t know people did that."
Well, they do. Anyone can be ghosted, and anyone can become a ghoster, says couples therapist Eric Hegmann.
Ghosting - for the uninitiated - is suddenly, without explanation, ending all communication with someone and avoiding any further contact. Originally referring to romantic relationships in the age of social media and online dating apps, the term includes personal and business relationships as well.
There are various reasons for ghosting someone, Hegmann says. The ghoster may be too lazy to explain themself or want to avoid confrontation, for instance.
The impulse to withdraw is deeply rooted in us, particularly when it comes to protecting our personal freedoms, says psychotherapist and author Wolfgang Krüger. "If you had a difficult childhood, withdrawal is a rather massive desire," he says.
So ending and withdrawing from further communication is nothing unusual and often a means of self-protection. "Breaking off a relationship is a fully normal mode of behaviour in our lives," remarks Krüger.
The results of an online survey last year by the Germany-based online dating agency Parship back this up. Twenty per cent of the respondents said they had been ghosted, a figure that rose to 32% among 18-to-29-year-olds. At 20%, that age group also ghosted others the most.
Being ghosted elicits various reactions. People with a fear of loss and abandonment take it harder, Hegmann says. But it's not so traumatic for those with a secure attachment style, whose attitude towards rejection is pragmatic. "They say, 'Well, it just didn't work out.'"
Ghostees can learn to better cope with the situation by taking a reflective approach, according to Krüger, who says talking to friends about it can help. In any event, they shouldn't become dispirited.
"We've got to remain curious and engaged in our lives, and begin new relationships again and again despite all losses," he says.
Hegmann also advises ghostees not to fear meeting new people and not give up too quickly. "You can learn to handle a 'no,'" he says. So your motto should be, in the words of the hit theme song of the Hollywood cult comedy "Ghostbusters" (1984): "I ain't 'fraid of no ghost."
His tip is to take control of your emotions and not let rejection by others rule you. "If they don't do what you'd like to be happy, you've got to do it yourself."