Single Motherhood, Sexuality, and Mediated Intimacies on Dating Apps

Abstract

The article explores the nuanced and multifaceted experiences of single mothers who use dating apps. Drawing on autoethnographic reflection and participant observation of online community groups, it examines the emotional, psychological, and sociocultural dimensions that influence single mothers’ engagements with dating apps. It unpacks the complicated relationship of motherhood and sexuality, challenging prevailing cultural and social stereotypes such as the myth of mothers being asexual beings. The core questions are: What type of intimacies exist in this context? And how does the tension between single motherhood, single womanhood, and sexuality impact subjectivity and self-representation? By examining how single mothers navigate their roles as parents, women, and individuals seeking intimacy in online dating cultures, the study contributes to a broader understanding of contemporary social dynamics and the interplay between technology and identity. The article discusses self-representation, constructions of sexuality, sexual agency, the negotiation of connection and boundaries, and privacy. It argues that when single mothers engage on dating platforms, they navigate the complex terrain of sexual capital through strategies of visibility. In sum, the article delves into the increasing role of technology in the everyday lives, experiences of intimacy, and formations of connections by a contested yet diverse community of single mothers.