Swiping as a Single Mom: A First Look at the Experiences of Single Mothers Who Use Tinder

Abstract

Single mothers who wish to find new dating partners must contend with a lack of free time and the demands of parenting. As online dating has become a more socially acceptable way to access social, romantic, and sexual opportunities, many single mothers are now considering the use of dating apps to pursue their goals. In this article, we explored the vocabularies of motive of single mothers who used the dating app Tinder. For this purpose, we applied the foundational theory of situated action and vocabularies of motive advanced by Mills, which explains how individuals justify their questioned choices and actions in relation to their identities and social contexts. We based our analysis on seven semi-structured interviews with single mothers and seven published accounts of single mothers’ online dating experiences. We identified four vocabularies of motive: (1) freedom and liberation; (2) entertainment; (3) cultivation of eroticism, intimacy, and a desired identity; and (4) temporal justifications. Based on our results, we determined that Tinder appeals to single mothers because of its popularity, potential for experimentation, and swift temporality, which allows these women to quickly access opportunities and synchronize complicated schedules.