Dating in the present world is pretty challenging, and since dating apps have become so popular, individuals are even more erratic regarding relationships. Interestingly, though, that is not the worst; a new dating trend may not favor people looking for romantic relationships.

In the past, we experienced the phenomenon of “ghosting,” in which one person abruptly stopped communicating with the other. We now find ourselves in a greater, worse, and more terrifying position known as being “zombied.”

Those who have already encountered ghosting must be familiar with how it works. Without warning, the other person cuts off all contact, leaving you to wonder what went wrong. It could involve electronic communication or even face-to-face contact. Ultimately, it is unpleasant to be on the receiving end of it. This is hardly the worst, though.

You’ll want to ghost more because zombies are the newest fad in the pool. Singer-songwriter Mariel Darling warned her 256k followers on TikTok that getting zombied was even worse than the ghoulish treatment. Mariel continued by saying that the new dating baddies had already changed into flesh-eating zombies who would return from the graveyard to rekindle previous relationships. In essence, a former sweetheart reappears after you have blissfully moved on. Seems bad.

In the overlay of the singer-songwriter’s video, it was written, “Zombies are the new ghosting.” She continued by saying, “Girl, you’re being ghosted? I’m walking around like a zombie. For her fans to better understand, she added her definition:

“It’s like ghosting, but he returns from the dead after a couple of months and hits you up.” This incredibly relatable video went viral on social media, receiving 1.5 million views and many comments. A user commented, “Mine has a Jesus Christ complex; he comes back every three days.” Another person commented, “I saw someone say she puts gravestone emojis on their name in contacts so she knows not to deal with them anymore.”

Other users also mentioned how they felt like zombies. Tell me why this happened to me three times in the last three weeks, one person remarked. I experience it frequently. “Have you ever noticed that they all zombie you simultaneously?” asked another user. Why, for example, are four men from my past approaching me on the same day?