Love on the internet: a framework for understanding Eros online

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop a conceptual framework to aid in understanding and evaluating love online. The framework maps the territory of online love by identifying important issues and providing a mechanism for combining relevant theoretical perspectives.

Design/methodology/approach

Interdisciplinary literature is reviewed and related through normative and descriptive conceptual analysis.

Findings

A diverse and complex set of practices, technologies, intentions, and behaviors comprise love online. Theoretical works on love and mediation can be combined to improve conceptual clarity.

Practical implications

The framework provides a simple but powerful tool for making sense of and critiquing the existing literature as well as outlining avenues for future research.

Originality/value

The framework puts diverse strands of scholarly work into an interdisciplinary discussion about an important phenomenon in new media societies.

Citation

Briggle, A. (2008), "Love on the internet: a framework for understanding Eros online", Journal of Information, Communication and Ethics in Society, Vol. 6 No. 3, pp. 216-232. https://doi.org/10.1108/14779960810916228