Category: Social Media

What is the “Ghostlighting” Dating Trend?

July 27, 2025
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The “Ghostlighting” Dating Trend

A concerning new dating behavior called “Ghostlighting” is emerging in online relationship culture. The term blends ghosting, which means cutting off contact without explanation, with gaslighting, which means manipulating someone into doubting their own perception of reality. In ghostlighting, a partner suddenly disappears from communication, only to later return and deny any wrongdoing, often suggesting the other person misunderstood or overreacted.

Experts warn that ghostlighting can be emotionally damaging, leaving individuals confused, anxious, and questioning their own memory or judgment. This tactic can erode self-esteem, create distrust in future relationships, and in some cases be part of a broader pattern of emotional manipulation.

The trend is reportedly being amplified by dating apps and social media. Disappearing and reappearing in someone’s life can be done with minimal effort and little accountability in these digital spaces. The casual nature of online connections makes it easier for ghostlighters to avoid confrontation while still keeping someone emotionally tethered.

How Teens Can Be Influenced?

Teens who are new to dating, particularly in the fast-paced and always-connected world of messaging apps and social media, may be especially vulnerable to ghostlighting. Many are still developing the emotional resilience, communication skills, and self-worth needed to navigate relationships. Experiencing ghostlighting at a young age can:

  • Normalize unhealthy relationship patterns and lower expectations for respect and clear communication.
  • Distort self-image by making teens doubt their instincts and judgment when told they overreacted.
  • Create emotional dependency, as the unpredictable cycle of disappearance and return fuels a craving for the ghostlighter’s validation.
  • Increase social stress, since online platforms can make these dynamics public, which may lead to embarrassment or peer pressure.

For impressionable teens, the mix of romantic interest, online visibility, and emotional manipulation can create a lasting impact on how they view trust, boundaries, and self-worth in future relationships.

Protecting Against Ghostlighting

At PureSight, we use advanced AI tools to detect manipulative text and recognize ghostlighting behaviors in real time. We track activity across social media, messaging apps, and gaming platforms, identifying new and disturbing trends as they emerge.

When signs of toxic behavior appear—such as sudden disappearance followed by denial or blame-shifting—we send timely alerts to parents. This allows families to step in, support their teen, and address the issue before it escalates.

By combining early detection with practical guidance, PureSight helps parents safeguard their children’s emotional well-being and teach them what healthy relationships should look like, both online and offline.

David Gil,

Research team lead at PureSight

Tags: Gaslighting, Ghosting, online child safety, prevention

Why the Digital World Needs a New Kind of Regulator

July 2, 2025
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🎯 The Illusion of Action

Last year, the U.S. Congress summoned the leaders of the major social media platforms for a much-publicized hearing. The goal, at least on paper, was important: protecting our children online. However, instead of leading to actionable steps, much of the discussion devolved into political theater.

One of the few tangible outcomes?
Meta decided to shut down its own content validation team, the team responsible for monitoring and verifying the nature of content on its platforms.

Why?
Because they realized that simply having such a team made them a target. If they claimed to review content, they could be held accountable for it.

🚧 Platforms Are Not the Police

I often compare the digital world to our roads. Think of telecom providers as those who build the highways, responsible for infrastructure. Digital platforms are like car manufacturers, giving us the means to travel.

But just as we don’t expect Toyota or a road company to enforce driver behavior, we shouldn’t expect social media platforms to police every user. That job belongs to regulators.

🌍 A Borderless World, A Regulatory Void

Here’s the problem: roads exist within countries. Each has its own laws and enforcement. But the digital world? It knows no borders. Harmful behavior, bullying, exploitation, and misinformation flow freely across apps, servers, and time zones.

We’re left without a single authority responsible for setting global standards.

🧭 The Need for an Over-Authority

What we’re missing is a global entity, an overarching authority to regulate the digital world. A body with teeth. Not owned by governments or corporations, but with the ability to define and enforce rules that protect the most vulnerable, especially our children.

Sounds like science fiction? It might be. But maybe that’s exactly what we need.

🌌 Sci-Fi Had It Right All Along

Take Star Wars, for example. The Galactic Republic tried to govern thousands of planets through a central senate and shared laws. However, even that grand vision crumbled under the weight of bureaucracy and manipulation.

Today’s digital world faces a similar fate. We don’t need lightsabers or hyperspace, but we do need structure, clarity, and above all: accountability

🛡️ What We’re Doing at PureSight

At PureSight, we’re not waiting for global policy to catch up. We’ve built AI-powered tools that empower parents to protect their kids online, right now. Tools that detect risks like cyberbullying, predatory behavior, and harmful content. Tools that work regardless of what the tech giants choose to do.

Because families can’t afford to wait.

🧠 A Call for Vision and Action

Technology alone isn’t enough. We need bold thinking, shared responsibility, and a new kind of regulator for a borderless world. Our kids deserve nothing less.

Let’s build something better for them.

Royi Cohen, CEO of PureSight

Between Screens and Human Connection: Why New York’s Smartphone Ban in Elementary Schools Matters

May 19, 2025
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At the beginning of the month, New York Governor Kathy Hochul made headlines by announcing a bold new policy: starting in the 2025–2026 school year, the use of smartphones will be banned in public elementary schools across the state. This is more than just a policy change; it’s a powerful statement of values: let’s give our children back their ability to focus, to learn, and to build real social connections.

Governor Kathy Hochul’s decision not only puts important regulations in motion, but it also raises critical public awareness. Educators and parents alike have seen the negative effects of constant digital distraction on young children. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve witnessed firsthand how the lack of in-person interaction has affected our children’s social development. This new initiative creates space, literally and figuratively , for kids to engage with the world around them.

Still, even though the goal is clear and important, the situation is more complicated. Today, digital platforms are a big part of kids’ social lives. Even in elementary schools where smartphones are usually not allowed, teachers sometimes ask students to use them in class, for learning activities or to practice using digital tools. Like it or not, these devices are part of how children learn to live and grow in the modern world.

We, as parents, are living this dilemma every day. On one hand, we want our children to enjoy a screen-free childhood, full of real-life adventures, face-to-face conversations, and undivided attention. On the other hand, we understand that knowing how to use digital tools is no longer a choice. We must teach our kids how to navigate online platforms safely, ethically, and effectively. And to teach them, we sometimes need to let them use these tools.

At PureSight, we deeply understand these challenges. That’s exactly why we’ve built our digital parenting tools, Surfie, to help families manage this balancing act. Our AI-powered service provides smart alerts to parents when online threats emerge, such as cyberbullying, sextortion, or predatory behavior, allowing parents to intervene when it matters most.

This is the kind of support families need: not just rules or restrictions, but practical, adaptive tools that allow children to grow safely in both the physical and digital worlds.

So yes, Governor Hochul’s initiative is a big step in the right direction. But let’s also remember that keeping kids safe in the digital age requires more than bans. It requires education, collaboration, and smart solutions that empower both parents and children.

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