Curating Connection: How Millennial Women Navigate Self-Presentation, Intimacy, and Rejection in Online Dating

This thesis examines how millennial women navigate self-presentation, intimacy, and rejection in online dating. Grounded in social penetration theory and the hyperpersonal model, it explores the tension between authenticity and desirability in profile curation, the transition from superficial to deeper intimacy, and the cultivation of resilience in response to rejection. Through the thematic analysis of a sample of media (2023–2025), active interviews with seven Canadian millennial women, and reflexive journaling, findings reveal a dynamic negotiation: women strategically curate profiles that balance authenticity with appeal, cautiously disclose intimate details, and often prioritize in-person validation, particularly among elder millennials. While artificial intelligence (AI) tools enhance self-presentation, they may also foster superficiality and erode trust. Rejection, including ghosting, is common, yet participants exhibit resilience, sustained by self-confidence and community support, which enables continued openness to intimacy. This thesis emphasizes the importance of online dating platform designs that foster genuine responsiveness to mitigate fatigue and support meaningful connections. By integrating and updating the social penetration theory’s onion model through the lens of the hyperpersonal model and AI influence, this research offers new insights into how millennial women adapt to the evolving landscape of digital romance, informing both platform design and future scholarship on AI-mediated relationships.

Author dc:creator

• Park, Kailyn

Advisors dc:contributor.advisor

• Bird, Geoff
• Black, David

• School of communication and culture

Language dc:language.iso

en_US

Identifier URI

https://doi.org/10.25316/IR-20456

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:null:10613/28892