“Okay, So What Are We?” The Reproduction of Monogamy in Tinder Couples

The formation of monogamous relationships between individuals who met throughdating apps represents a growing phenomenon. Monogamy is the dominant rela-tional model in the Western world, but in the context of dating apps, which fostera plurality of romantic and/or sexual encounters, it cannot be taken for granted.This study aimed to explore how monogamous relationships are constructed amongindividuals residing in Italy who met their partners via the global dating app Tinder.A total of 24 semi-structured interviews were conducted. We carried out an induc-tive, reflexive thematic analysis, progressing iteratively from familiarisation withthe data to initial coding and, subsequently, to the development and refinementof themes. Researcher reflexivity informed the entire process through the explicitarticulation of our feminist and critical positioning, which guided our interpretationof the data. The analysis identifies four core themes which are situated and context-bound: (1) “Constructing a Monogamous Self” shows how monogamous desire isessentialised and individualised, effectively obscuring its normative roots; (2) “De-fining the Couple as a Closed Unit” highlights the active boundary monitoring andhierarchization required to maintain exclusivity; (3) “Being a Couple for Everyoneto See” emphasises the necessity of external validation in legitimising the bond; (4)“Reconciling the Stigmatised Image of Tinder” explores how participants leveragetraditional romantic tropes to counteract the perceived illegitimacy of meeting onTinder. Collectively, these findings provide a framework for understanding mono-normativity as a lived relational logic that shapes self-understanding, expectations,and behaviours in contemporary dating contexts.