Think people are increasingly committed to being less vulnerable, or only "open" or "vulnerable" from the distance of social media posts or texts.
You can look at a lot of things like text messages as one indicator, of avoidance. Also, the way a lot of people WALK with their phone like a protective blanket.
Would also point to social media "value signaling" as a important part. Moving people into tighter and tighter categories. And labeling buzz words, I saw something yesterday that was trying to pitch "zombieing" as the new ghosting, and some influencer posted it, so it will catch on
but the definition to me, and the explanations behind it, were pretty bizarre. Basically, if someone you went out with a few times, texts you, months later. That's zombieing someone. That's it.
And they had this whole breakdown of pathological behavior, and respecting yourself. I do that all the time! I think about someone, and have some reason to text, so I do. That's like a connection to someone, that's valuing people regardless of their "status", that's how you ideally build relationships in general. Either you date me right now forever, or BYE.