Teen Romance and Breakups in the Digital Age
Navigating the world of ghosting, blocking and harassment.
Posted April 3, 2026 | Reviewed by Monica Vilhauer Ph.D.
Co-authors: Charles Egnatz and Kadijah Booth Watkins
"Mm, I didn’t wanna leave you, I didn’t wanna lie/Started to cry, but then remembered/I can buy myself flowers/Write my name in the sand/Talk to myself for hours/Say things you don’t understand" — Miley Cyrus
Teen romance looks very different today than it did a generation ago. Texting, social media , and even AI chatbots have changed how teens connect, communicate, and even break up with one another. While digital spaces can help teens feel closer and more supported, they can bring new challenges including ghosting , blocking and harassment. And those who sustain or initiate a breakup, as noted by Miley Cyrus, need to find new ways to preserve one’s identity and integrity.
In the days prior to digital media, we had the telephone, or we could meet up after school, or at a local park or mall. Hanging out was never an immediate thing. Though new relationships and breakups occurred, they took time for word to get out. And on the negative side, if there were bad feelings, name calling, bullying , competition and comparisons, the time and scope of the assault was never immediate — nor was the scope of who could find out and who did what to whom.
For advice, you had to go to someone – a relative, counselor, parent – not AI. It seemed more personal, but we know that AI can be incredibly appealing, persuasive and instantaneous.
Breakups in the Digital Age: Ghosting, Blocking and Harassment
Ghosting is the process by which someone ends a relationship by suddenly withdrawing from all communication without explanation. Large numbers of teens report experience with this, either as ghoster or ghostee. It is used as a way to avoid conflict and emotional upset, and often the rationalization is that it is a “kinder” way to breakup, rather than hurting a partner directly. It is essentially the “silent” treatment, since the recipient can see what their previous romantic partner is doing online, but there is no response. Many view this as a mean-spirited, passive aggressive way of actually inflicting harm (though typically denied by the ghoster).
Ghosting can lead the recipient to experience:
Blocking is known as the “digital wall.” It is a built-in feature on most social media platforms for privacy and safety. When blocked, the recipient can no longer see your posts, send direct messages, or tag your photos. On phones, it prevents calls and texts. It may be used to prevent harassment or pressure, or to secure oneself “emotionally” after a breakup. It may be used defensively to prevent further conversation or as punishment (“you don’t exist anymore.”) Blocking is often a way to separate you from your previous partner and all their activities. It may, in some cases, be the definitive answer that the relationship is over. For the person blocked, the message is clear, but it also means that a circle of friends in the orbit of the past relationship is also cut off, though you may be able to have independent unblocked communication with others in a circle of friends.
Perhaps one of the most disturbing digital consequences of a breakup is online harassment and possibly threatening behavior. It may take a number of forms:
Online harassment may result if the perpetrator is jealous , angry, or has poor impulse control — or it may result as a response to being a victim of ghosting or blocking. Not only is it unsettling but it is geared to extend the relationship beyond the breakup.
The recipient may experience:
What Can Be Done to Help Teens:
Here are some guidelines for parents, caregivers and clinicians:
Many of us may remember the doo wop hit tune that made Neal Sedaka famous: Breaking Up is Hard to Do:
“Don’t take your love away from me/Don’t you leave my heart in misery/Cause if you go, then I’ll be blue/Cause breaking up is hard to do”
Little did he or the many others, generation after generation, appreciate how hard and complicated breaking up has become in the digital age.
To find a therapist, visit the Psychology Today Therapy Directory .
Also posted on the Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds website at The Massachusetts General Hospital
Share this post Facebook Bluesky Linkedin Email
There was a problem adding your email address. Please try again.
By submitting your information you agree to the Psychology Today Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy
Eugene V. Beresin, M.D. , is Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, the Executive Director of the MGH Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds, and Director of the Elizabeth Thatcher Acampora Endowment.
Get the help you need from a therapist near you–a FREE service from Psychology Today.
This article is part of the Bringwise Psychology Journal — daily insights on human behavior, mental health, and personal growth.