Ella Bending

• BA (Hons) Media, Communication & Cultural Studies
• “Breaking up and being dumped”: Exploring young men, masculinity and partner initiated relationship dissolution on digital platforms

We explored the impact of relationship break-ups on young men, what they do, how they feel and how they subsequently deal with these human emotions within the digital sphere. The research had two overriding questions: What happens to the male identity when experiencing relationship closure? And, does breaking up within the digital sphere make a difference to these reactions? The research involved scoping literature in the field in addition to conducting four interviews with young men between the ages of eighteen and twenty-six. Our findings illuminated data not apparent in existing research, with some participants actively curating their online profiles in order to reject negative male stereotypes rather than behaving predatorially as research suggests. We hope that these findings will begin to contribute to discussions surrounding the under-researched area of young men’s well-being and provide information to University support networks about young men, relationship closure and digital platforms.   

Funding source: Newcastle University

Project supervisor: Dr Chris Haywood