From Breadcrumbs to Benches: Mapping the Disengagement Continuum in Digital Intimacy Beyond Ghosting

Document Types

Paper Presentation

Research Theme (for Paper Presentation and Poster Presentation submissions only)

Family, Relations, and Social Structure (FRS)

School Name

De La Salle University - Laguna Campus

Track or Strand

Humanities and Social Science (HUMSS)

Research Advisor (Last Name, First Name, Middle Initial)

Liz Rillera-Astudillo

Start Date

25-6-2026 10:30 AM

End Date

25-6-2026 12:00 PM

Zoom Link/ Room Assignment

DLSU Laguna Campus (In-person) - Enrique K. Razon Jr. Hall - EKR 407

Abstract/Executive Summary

Digital relational exit has traditionally been exemplified by ghosting, yet contemporary research suggests a broader spectrum of disengagement behaviors. This study systematically maps Neighboring Disengagement Behaviors (NDBs) within digital intimacy, highlighting how partial and ambiguous withdrawal complicates conventional understandings of relational dissolution. The research addresses two primary questions: (1) What types of NDBs exist along the digital disengagement continuum? and (2) How do these behaviors relate to psychological and cultural contexts? A scoping review was conducted following Arksey and O’Malley’s (2005) framework and PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Out of 141 articles retrieved from multiple databases (2015–2025), 52 peer-reviewed publications met the eligibility criteria and were analyzed by four independent reviewers. Data were extracted using a standardized charting form that captured types of NDBs, motivations, emotional outcomes, and cultural mediation. Results indicate that ghosting represents the extreme of total withdrawal, whereas NDBs—including breadcrumbing, orbiting, benching, and haunting—exist as partial and reversible forms of disengagement along a continuum. Platform affordances such as read receipts, swipes, and story views enable low-effort relational economies that sustain relational ambiguity. Psychological mechanisms involve attachment processes, ego and validation motives, and heightened vulnerability among emerging adults. Cultural contexts, particularly high-context and collectivist frameworks, shape interpretations of ambiguity, as observed in Filipino constructs of kapwa and hiya. These findings underscore the need for a nuanced conceptualization of digital relational exit that integrates behavioral, psychological, and cultural dimensions. The study contributes a consolidated framework for NDBs, highlighting gaps in longitudinal research and the overrepresentation of Western samples.

Keywords

ghosting, breadcrumbing, digital intimacy, relational exit, Southeast Asia

Statement of Originality

yes

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Jun 25th, 10:30 AM Jun 25th, 12:00 PM

From Breadcrumbs to Benches: Mapping the Disengagement Continuum in Digital Intimacy Beyond Ghosting

Digital relational exit has traditionally been exemplified by ghosting, yet contemporary research suggests a broader spectrum of disengagement behaviors. This study systematically maps Neighboring Disengagement Behaviors (NDBs) within digital intimacy, highlighting how partial and ambiguous withdrawal complicates conventional understandings of relational dissolution. The research addresses two primary questions: (1) What types of NDBs exist along the digital disengagement continuum? and (2) How do these behaviors relate to psychological and cultural contexts? A scoping review was conducted following Arksey and O’Malley’s (2005) framework and PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Out of 141 articles retrieved from multiple databases (2015–2025), 52 peer-reviewed publications met the eligibility criteria and were analyzed by four independent reviewers. Data were extracted using a standardized charting form that captured types of NDBs, motivations, emotional outcomes, and cultural mediation. Results indicate that ghosting represents the extreme of total withdrawal, whereas NDBs—including breadcrumbing, orbiting, benching, and haunting—exist as partial and reversible forms of disengagement along a continuum. Platform affordances such as read receipts, swipes, and story views enable low-effort relational economies that sustain relational ambiguity. Psychological mechanisms involve attachment processes, ego and validation motives, and heightened vulnerability among emerging adults. Cultural contexts, particularly high-context and collectivist frameworks, shape interpretations of ambiguity, as observed in Filipino constructs of kapwa and hiya. These findings underscore the need for a nuanced conceptualization of digital relational exit that integrates behavioral, psychological, and cultural dimensions. The study contributes a consolidated framework for NDBs, highlighting gaps in longitudinal research and the overrepresentation of Western samples.

https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/conf_shsrescon/2026/BoA_FRS/8