Investigating romantic intimacy as experienced on mobile dating apps: a case study on fleeting online relationships

This MRP explores the contemporary phenomenon of online dating in order to unearth the ways in which these dating experiences are being communicated and expressed online. By analyzing the communication of dissolved online romance as shared on YouTube, this MRP focuses on the concept of, and subsequent discourses surrounding fleeting intimacies in a modern, digital environment. Regarding the study, the author conducted a video content analysis of shared ‘Story Time’ videos on YouTube discussing the experience of being ghosted by a partner via a dating app. Through this research, the author found that the experience of fleeting romance is increasingly taking place in digital environments and expressed through oral storytelling practices. Furthermore, the particular gendered dynamics of the communication of fleeting intimacy are explored, with additional emphasis on the emotions felt and messages communicated with regard to the experience of ghosting. Using the sampled ‘Story Time’ videos as a case study, this MRP describes and analyzes the communication of modern fleeting romance in order to illustrate the increasing phenomenon of YouTube lifestyle vlogging as a form of connection, communication and sharing of intimate experiences in a digital environment.