Love on the internet: a framework for understanding Eros online

摘要

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.