This study investigates Ghanaian youth perceptions of “social media marriage,” examining whether these digital unions constitute legitimate relationships or spaces prone to criminal exploitation. Employing a descriptive phenomenological design within an interpretive paradigm, 40 participants aged 18–35 were purposively and snowball sampled from three popular online dating platforms in Ghana. Data were collected through in‐depth interviews conducted in English and local languages and thematically analyzed using Braun and Clarke′s framework. Findings reveal a dual reality: Some participants reported positive outcomes, including successful transnational marriages and cultural exchange, whereas others described fraud, sexual exploitation, emotional manipulation, and identity deception. Many participants characterized social media marriage platforms as “crime scenes,” highlighting the prevalence of catfishing, scams, and digital deceit. Traditional family disapproval also emerged as a significant challenge, reflecting the tension between online intimacy and societal norms. The study underscores the complex intersection of technology, romance, and crime, emphasizing the need for enhanced digital literacy, platform accountability, and culturally sensitive interventions. By situating social media marriage within Ghana′s sociocultural context, the research contributes to understanding digital deviance, the ethics of online intimacy, and strategies for protecting vulnerable youth in emerging virtual relationship spaces.
Annang et al. (Thu,) studied this question.