Rejection: Fiction

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of sexual content.

The Internet is the key motif for the theme of The Loneliness of the Internet Age. In several stories, characters turn to the Internet to relieve the pain of their loneliness. This ironically has the effect of deepening their isolation, making it harder to form a genuine connection with anybody else.

In “Pics,” Alison frequently uses the Internet to learn more about Neil and Cece and to seek support from her group chat. Alison obsessively compares herself to Cece, trying to outperform her in posting. Alison believes that by creating an appealing enough post, she can earn Neil’s approval and love. Obviously, this fails. Alison’s group chat serves as an initial source of character support, but she alienates them with her self-pity and her vindictive nature. At the end of the story, Alison returns to her empty group chat to mourn the definitive end to her relationship with Neil.

In “Ahegao, or The Ballad of Sexual Repression,” Kant turns to the Internet to fulfill his sexual fantasies after his relationship with Julian is ended. Kant hopes that ordering custom porn videos will allow him to overcome the fear of his sex partner’s rejection.