Modern Romance Thrives as Couples Avoid Meeting in Person Indefinitely

It began with a like. Then a comment. Then a flirty inside joke over Instagram DMs. Six months later, Maya still hasn’t met Luke — and she’s not even sure he’s real.
“He calls me ‘babe’ and sends me TikToks,” she said. “We almost met in May, but he said Mercury was in retrograde.”

Maya isn’t alone. Across platforms, a new style of “relationship” is gaining popularity — the never-meet situationship, a romantic limbo powered by constant digital connection and zero physical commitment.
“You build a bond,” said Eli, 29, who’s been voice-noting with someone in his city since March. “You get the butterflies. But there’s just… never a good time to hang out. She’s busy. I’m busy. And what if it’s awkward in person?”

According to a 2024 report by the Kinsey Institute, more than 38% of singles aged 25–40 report maintaining at least one “active romantic thread” with someone they’ve never actually met — despite living within 20 miles of each other.

Experts have dubbed the phenomenon Proximity Ghosting: the act of staying emotionally tethered to someone close by, while never actually taking the physical step to connect. It’s texting as performance art — and no one wants to break the illusion.

“There’s safety in almost,” explained digital intimacy researcher Dr. Lin Feld. “The emotional tension is preserved. The fantasy remains intact. You never have to confront their height, or their breath, or the fact that they eat string cheese horizontally.”

The delay is often mutual. One party avoids commitment. The other avoids rejection. Both cite “timing” as the issue — despite having literally nothing else scheduled that day.

Dating apps have enabled this limbo, with algorithmic encouragement to keep browsing while you maintain a handful of vague, emotionally charged conversations that never progress past “How was your weekend?”
“Honestly, I’m in three different non-relationships right now,” said Devon, 27. “It’s like polyamory, but cowardly.”

Jules Cringeley puts it bluntly: “It’s emotional cardio. You feel something, you send something, you screenshot something, you get a dopamine hit — and you never have to risk your actual Friday night. The perfect relationship, as long as it never starts.”