Don't you want me, baby? : the single man's expectations, rejection and entitlement

Abstract

The goal of this research is to answer the research question: How do traditional masculine role norms and entitlement manifest themselves in today's local modem dating scene? Through five qualitative in-depth interviews with heterosexual men between the ages of 21 and 35 years, the researcher used thematic analysis to explore dating experiences, expectation, behaviour and attitudes in the context of contemporary online dating. The study explored how traditional masculine role norms impact how men feel about rejection and how aggrieved entitlement manifests itself. The findings suggest that entitlement is found and often linked to other emotions such as fear of rejection, feelings of transactional fairness and the restrictive traditional masculine values that dictate how 'real men' should be. These elements are exacerbated by the consumerist nature of online dating apps. The researcher recommends that education policy should review and make provisions for a more holistic and updated curriculum of personal and social development skills for teens that include open and forthright discussion with youth about mobile app dating/ hooking up, sex, porn, expectations, entitlement and rejection, among others.