Ghosting as a technologically assisted exit strategy on mobile dating apps

Šiša, Anamarija (author)

This article examines the practice of “ghosting” on mobile dating apps. In the context of such apps, ghosting is the practice of unilaterally ending an interaction without explanation and avoiding any further communication with the potential partner. Findings from the qualitative analysis presented in this article are based on interviews with 26 dating app users from Ljubljana, Slovenia, and reveal that the use of the ghosting strategy on dating apps, even in the earliest stages of interaction between potential partners, enables the normalization of this strategy. This article examines ghosting as an uncertain practice enabled by the gamified nature of dating apps. It also explores how ghosting establishes a sense of control in the uncertain, gamified, and laborious environment of dating apps. Ghosting is, therefore, a practice that enables relegating the emotionally challenging workload of terminating a relationship or interaction to technology. Overall, by situating this study within a broader nexus between scholarship on media studies and dating apps, the results offer a new understanding of the connection between contemporary dating practices and the sociotechnical mechanisms enabling them.

• Language: English
• Keywords: ghosting, dating apps, uncertainty, emotional labour
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FDV - Faculty of Social Sciences
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2022
• Number of pages: Str. 1-22
• Numbering: Vol. 28, no. 2
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-143654
• UDC: 392.4:004.9:621.395.44
• ISSN on article: 1408-032X
• DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.7497811
• COBISS.SI-ID: 136366851
• Publication date in RUL: 05.01.2023

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Anthropological notebooks
• Shortened title: Anthropol. noteb.
• Publisher: Društvo antropologov Slovenije = Slovene Anthropological Society
• ISSN: 1408-032X
• COBISS.SI-ID: 62755072

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian

Abstract

Članek preučuje prakso izginjanja (ang. ghosting) pri mobilnih aplikacijah za zmenke. V kontekstu aplikacij za zmenke je ghosting praksa enostranskega prenehanja interakcije brez pojasnila in izogibanje nadaljnje komunikacije s potencialnim partnerjem ali partnerico. Ugotovitve kvalitativne analize, predstavljene v tem članku, temeljijo na intervjujih s 26 uporabniki aplikacij za zmenke v Ljubljani, Slovenija. Rezultati kažejo, da uporaba strategije izginjanja na aplikacijah za zmenke, tudi v najzgodnejših fazah interakcije med potencialnimi partnerji, omogoča normalizacijo te strategije. Članek preučuje izginjanje kot negotovo prakso, ki jo omogoča igrificirana narava aplikacij za zmenke. Raziskuje tudi, kako izginjanje vzpostavlja občutek nadzora v negotovem, igrificiranem in obremenjujočem okolju aplikacij za zmenke. Izginjanje je torej praksa, ki omogoča prenos čustveno zahtevnega bremena prekinitve razmerja ali interakcije na tehnologijo. Umestitev rezultatov te študije v kontekst medijskih študij in študij aplikacij za zmenke ponuja novo razumevanje povezave med sodobnimi praksami zmenkovanja in družbenotehničnimi mehanizmi, ki te prakse omogočajo.

• Keywords: zmenki, mobilne aplikacije, igrifikacija, medosebno komuniciranje, Slovenija izginjanje, aplikacije za zmenke, negotovost, čustveno delo

Projects

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Funding programme: Young researchers