No ordinary breakup anymore; Toxic 'Banksying' fever grips dating youths

Love is not as simple as it used to be. Situationship, speed dating, blind dating, ghosting, and takeaways are part of the new trends involved in dating. The latest toxic trend to join the bandwagon is Banksying.

In Banksying, one partner withdraws emotionally without proper communication with the other. A state where the other person does not understand what is happening between them. The word is coined after the enigmatic British street artist Banksy, who is yet to make a public appearance. This artist's style is to disappear without saying anything after displaying his works in front of the public. The new dating style has espoused this trend of communicating less, though making the message clear.

Dating coaches explain that when a person feels like ending a relationship, they slowly and silently withdraw from the other person, knowing that direct communication can cause immediate conflict, tension, and drama. Psychiatrists also point out that this can be seen as a form of passive-aggressive behaviour or emotional manipulation.

As per a study, Banksying is oddly satisfying for certain people, who might have worked on it for months to communicate with their partner about ending the relationship. However, for an unsuspecting partner on the other side, Banksying can be terrible, with questions remaining unanswered over the cold exit.