Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to develop a conceptual framework to aid in understanding and evaluating love online. The framework maps the territory of online love by identifying important issues and providing a mechanism for combining relevant theoretical perspectives.
Design/methodology/approach
Interdisciplinary literature is reviewed and related through normative and descriptive conceptual analysis.
Findings
A diverse and complex set of practices, technologies, intentions, and behaviors comprise love online. Theoretical works on love and mediation can be combined to improve conceptual clarity.
Practical implications
The framework provides a simple but powerful tool for making sense of and critiquing the existing literature as well as outlining avenues for future research.
Originality/value
The framework puts diverse strands of scholarly work into an interdisciplinary discussion about an important phenomenon in new media societies.