"It's exhausting:" A narrative exploration of black millennials experiences with online dating

This study applied critical narrative analysis to explore the lived experiences and stories of Black millennials and their use of social media and dating apps to form relationships. There is existing research on the state of Black marriage rates and success in the United States and existing research on the various intersections of technology and its usage by various generations and demographics, specifically millennials. There are, however, gaps in research pertaining to Black millennials' technology use and how it is leveraged for the possibility of making a connection and finding a partner for a potential relationship. The purpose of this study was to explore the shared stories and experiences of Black millennials with social media and dating apps and how these platforms were used for relationship building. Participants consisted of 9 Black millennials who had used social media and dating apps for an average of 10 years. Data were gathered through narrative interviews conducted via Zoom videoconferencing platform. Data analysis occurred through a critical narrative analysis lens, through the process of flirtation with the data through circles of analysis. The themes identified from this research include, Users of online dating apps came for dating, but not everyone is here for dating; what we share matters - how much is too much? Deciding to move the relationship forward, and finally, enough is enough: when do we call it quits on dating app usage?