"Banksying" is the new Gen Z dating trend, and it's worse than ghosting

Love’s latest casualty isn’t a fight, it’s silence.

Just when you thought ghosting was the worst way to end a relationship, Gen Z has gone a step further. Enter Banksying, a dating trend that’s more emotionally haunting than disappearing without a text. Inspired by the elusive street artist Banksy, who creates impactful art and vanishes without leaving a signature, Banksying is the act of emotionally exiting a relationship while still physically showing up.

No confrontation. No drama. No goodbye. You’re there... but not really.

It’s not ghosting, it’s quieter, colder and confusing

Unlike ghosting, where a person completely cuts off communication, Banksying keeps the body in the room but removes the heart from the equation. It’s when someone continues to be around in the relationship, responding to texts, going on dates, even smiling for selfies but emotionally, they’ve already left the building.

Imagine your partner making dinner plans while feeling like they were nothing. It’s like dating a hologram: warm smile, hollow presence.

‘Metro in Dino’ got it right before we had a name for it

A perfect pop culture parallel? Konkona Sen Sharma and Pankaj Tripathi’s storyline in ‘Metro in Dino’. There’s no big meltdown, no teary monologues. Their characters simply drift apart, emotionally unavailable but still playing their parts. And that’s what makes Banksying brutal; it’s not just passive. It’s performative.

You’re left questioning yourself, wondering if you're imagining the distance. And unlike a fight or breakup, you get no closure, just a slow- vanishing act.

Why Gen Z might be choosing detachment over drama

Experts say Gen Z’s relationship habits reflect their wider world: burnout, emotional overwhelm, and hyper-awareness of mental health. In a world where everything is online and everyone is overstimulated, confrontation can feel exhausting. So instead of fighting or ghosting, many choose to fade emotionally. It’s detachment disguised as maturity. But it’s also avoidance in a clever coat.

The real cost of Banksying: Emotional gaslighting?

Banksying doesn’t just hurt; it causes confusion. The person on the receiving end is forced to fill in the blanks. Are we still a couple? Did I do something wrong? Why does it feel so cold when nothing is said?

In many cases, Banksying feels like emotional gaslighting—you’re still being told “I love you,” but every action says otherwise. That cognitive dissonance can wreck your confidence, trust, and even your ability to form healthy attachments in the future.

Gen Z thinks the Thumbs-Up emoji is 'passive-aggressive'. Do you agree?

Can love survive a silent exit?

That’s the million-rupee question. Can a relationship recover if one person emotionally packs their bags without announcing the departure?

Maybe not. Because love needs more than presence, it needs presence of mind, heart, and spirit. And without honest communication, you're just two people orbiting in silence.