Date of Award

6-20-2024

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

First Advisor

Abha Rai

Abstract

Dating applications (apps) have become a popular method for young adults to make romantic connections. The apps themselves are easy to use and sometimes are created to be “game-like” to entice people to want to utilize them. People can “match” with other users and strike up conversations. Extensive research has been conducted on motivations for dating and using the dating app Tinder. This study looks at users’ reasons for using Bumble, where little research has been done. This study focuses on millennials aged 26-42, whereas most other studies have focused on college students under 23. This study uses a mixed approach, looking at Bumble profiles to analyze what people marked as “Looking For” to determine their motivations for being on the app. I also conducted a thematic analysis on the profiles’ About Me sections to see if it matched or added additional context to their “Looking For” section. This study looks at men, women, and nonbinary millennials. This is the first study found to emphasize nonbinary individuals as a significant sample. The results of this study indicate that men are more likely to indicate they are looking for a relationship (64%) versus something casual or even marriage, compared to women (57%) or nonbinary people (47%). Men are also more likely to have their ”Looking For” motivation match their About Me motivation (89%), indicating they may be more direct or upfront in saying what they are using the app for. Nonbinary people are more likely to be open to more than one outcome from their interactions on dating apps (33%), indicating they want to form a community in multiple ways with other users.

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