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This research received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 945413 and from the Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV).

Analysis of institutional authors

Campaioli, GiuliaCorresponding Author

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'Now you're home': Awareness cues, rejection and post-digital safety on mobile dating apps

Publicated to:New Media & Society. - 2025-05-19 (), DOI: 10.1177/14614448251336437

Authors: Campaioli, Giulia; Zamperini, Adriano; Cecchinato, Marta

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Abstract

Mobile dating apps (MDA) are popular for intimate encounters, but romantic rejection is common, and can drive surveillance using information from social media. Awareness cues convey digital information about others' activities, but their link with rejection is underexplored. This study explores the uses of awareness cues in mobile dating applications (MDAs) in relation to rejection, social surveillance and post-digital safety. Using a 1-month diary study with eight participants of diverse gender and sexual identities, we identify a grammar of awareness cues that helps users interpret others' intentions, manage relational uncertainty (e.g. ghosting) and navigate rejection. While awareness cues convey helpful information, they also expose users to social surveillance or even stalking. Since 'incognito mode' is a premium affordance on most MDAs, participants developed creative invisibility strategies to restrict access to social surveillance mechanisms.

Keywords

Awareness cuesCyberstalkingGenderGeospatial datingGhostingInformationMobile datingOnline safetyPost-digital safetyRomantic rejectionSexualitySocial mediaSocial surveillancSurveillanceTechnologiesUsersWor

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Leadership analysis of institutional authors

This work has been carried out with international collaboration, specifically with researchers from: Italy; United Kingdom.

There is a significant leadership presence as some of the institution’s authors appear as the first or last signer, detailed as follows: First Author (Campaioli, Giulia) .

the author responsible for correspondence tasks has been Campaioli, Giulia.