Date of Award
5-1-2024
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Department
Communication Studies
First Advisor
Walker, Rebecca
Abstract
In this thesis, I explore how performance could be successfully used to explore dating application communication. More specifically, I discuss how computer-mediated communication (CMC) influences how users date in real life through the lens of performance. Elements of Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) discussed include but are not limited to direct messaging, the option to create a profile, algorithmic patterns, etc. For many users, like myself, online dating has changed how we portray ourselves and how this portrayal influences meeting face-to-face. While there are several theorists who have looked at CMC's effects on users, such as Joseph Walther and Sheizaf Rafaeli, in my research, I seek to fill a gap I find in the study ofCMC in tandem with dating app culture and how this could be discussed in a performance setting. Using theorists from performance studies, communication studies, and social psychology, this thesis begins with a solo show I created titled Left on Read which sought to answer two questions: can the private life of users who engage on dating apps be successfully performed onstage, and do Carl Jung’s Archetypes of the Self work well to frame how users date online?
Access
This thesis is only available for download to the SIUC community. Current SIUC affiliates may also access this paper off campus by searching Dissertations & Theses @ Southern Illinois University Carbondale from ProQuest. Others should contact the interlibrary loan department of your local library or contact ProQuest's Dissertation Express service.