Cricketing Is The Latest Manipulative Spin On Ghosting, With People Leaving Texts On Read For Long Periods Of Time, Forcing Singles To Wait Around For A Response
For as long as texting has been around, so has the annoying habit of waiting hours, or even days, to reply to a text.
This phenomenon is called “cricketing” and it is one of the most common dating behaviors that single people deal with today.
The term rose to prominence after it was coined by the dating site Plenty of Fish. Cricketing is when a text is read but isn’t replied to for much longer than expected. Cue the sound of crickets during that period of waiting around for a response.
Nothing is more disheartening than having great banter with your crush, only for them to suddenly stop sending messages, interrupting the flow that you’ve worked so hard to build.
Much of the time, cricketing occurs because the other person simply forgot to answer the text. Perhaps they may be wondering why you haven’t replied back to them.
However, some might do it as a way to keep their love interests hooked. When a cricketer leaves you on read, their silence can make you feel anxious because you don’t know why they’re not being responsive.
This can lead you to construct all sorts of scenarios in your head about where they are and what they might be doing.
Worst of all, it’s easy to take their silence as a sign of disinterest and start picking yourself apart, questioning which of your traits caused them to be turned off. When the cricketer finally does respond, you’ll be overjoyed to see a message from them.
Cricketing can create a cycle of highs and lows that are dependent on the cricketer’s communication with you.
Drobot Dean – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only, not the actual person
And, it’s possible for this one-sided relationship to breed obsessive tendencies in the person being cricketed.
Usually, cricketing refers to romantic interactions, but it can also pertain to other relationships. Cricketing can happen with your own parents, for instance.
A lot of older texters are prone to the behavior, even though it’s often not intentional. Still, the hurt feelings that result from cricketing are hard to shake.
If you’re being cricketed by someone, it might be time to take a step back from texting them. You deserve acknowledgment from the other person and respect for your time. In this case, honest communication is always the best policy.
Express your desire for consistent communication, and if they seem to disregard your feelings or even leave you on read again, let the text go and move on.
If you’re a serial cricketer, you can rectify your ways by owning up to your bad habits. When you’re not able to respond right away, shoot a quick text that lets the receiver know when you can get back to them.
The key is to show the other person that you still consider them a priority, but you just currently don’t have a free moment. You can also inform them about your other preferred methods of communication that might make it easier for you to keep up the conversation.
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