Getting ‘ghosted’ by someone can be annoying but this is also a sign that the person we are starting a conversation with is just not interested in you.
However, in the Philippines, a lawmaker suggested punishing people for ghosting or abruptly cutting off communications with someone without explaining why.
According to a Philippines news portal CDN, Arnolfo Teves Jr., a member of the Nationalist People’s Coalition which is on friendly terms with the current ruling government has recently filed a House Bill No. 611 titled “An Act Declaring Ghosting As An Emotional Offense”.
Have you been "ghosted" by someone?
— ONE News PH (@onenewsph) July 26, 2022
Negros Oriental 3rd District Rep. Arnolfo Teves, Jr. filed a bill declaring "ghosting” as an "emotional offense." He says "ghosting" is when someone cuts off communication with friends, partners, and alike without real closure. pic.twitter.com/Vv56IQJbMg
Teves explained that “ghosting is a form of spite that develops feelings of rejection and neglect” and thus, it should be considered a form of abuse.
However, the proposed bill does not have concrete suggestions for penalising acts of ghosting, and only goes as far as saying that such acts should be punished.
Meanwhile, Teves also said that despite technological advancement, people have been more prone to cutting ties with one another without considering the feelings of the other party, especially in the realm of dating, which he claimed has “changed exponentially compared to previous years”.
Nonetheless, Teves’ suggestion is not without merit as some experts admitted that ‘ghosting’ will have negative effects on individuals. In fact, many who have been ‘ghosted’ have called the act cruel, with some developing feelings of self-criticism and self-doubt among others.
However, according to the news portal, the proposal has so far received criticisms from social media users, with many calling out the government to put more effort into fixing the social and economic problems faced by the general Filipino population instead.
Some said that such law is completely unnecessary considering that many people tend to get hurt in relationships regardless of the prevalence of technology.
what kind of insanity is this???? good luck proving "ghosting".
— Nuclear Winter (@nuclearwinter29) July 26, 2022
“In the real world, people sometimes get hurt in the pursuit of happiness,” one netizen said.
“Life is unforgiving, you just need to adjust, survive, and move on. Don’t waste my tax money on this. Instead, craft laws that create sustainable jobs,” another netizen said.
On the looks of it, it is unlikely that the bill will be passed as bills are required to undergo three readings before even being considered for addition as law. It is also doubtful if the proposal will have any societal effects.
What do you think about this? Share your thoughts!
