<p>This investigation aims to identify the stressors that hinder dating apps user’s ability to engage meaningfully with the platforms, leading to negative emotional responses that can drive users to discontinue usage of these digital platforms. We employed the Stressor-Strain-Outcome (SSO) framework and performed analysis using the collected data. The theoretical framework was developed using a Netnographic approach. The framework comprised five relevant stressors, namely communication overload, information overload, information irrelevance, technological vulnerability and passive innovation resistance. Social media exhaustion was employed as the strain variable of the stressors, whereas the discontinuation intention of dating apps is considered as the outcome variable. Structural Equation Modelling was employed for the analysis of quantitative data. The results reveal that stressors, specifically communication overload, information overload, information irrelevance, and technological vulnerability significantly contribute to user’s experiences of social media exhaustion on the dating apps. Additionally, generalised trust was found to moderate the relationship between the social media exhaustion and discontinuation intention. The results also indicate that passive innovation resistance does not significantly contribute to social media exhaustion. The study has implications for theory, practice and managers of the dating apps.</p>