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. 2021 Nov 18;59(8):1034–1044. doi: 10.1080/00224499.2021.1994516

Table 2.

Themes and sub-themes.

Theme Sub-themes
Meanings Normalized practice
Enmeshment within broader online cultures of image presentation
Multiplicity of goals
Balancing possibility and risk
Meeting partners for enduring romantic relationships
Meeting people for one-off sexual encounters
Dating
Boosting self-esteem and empowerment
Entirely online sexual actions and interactions
Sharing online experiences with friends
Possibilities
Risks
Enabling sexual adventure
Instrumental efficiency
Boredom
Presenting oneself as “sleazy”
Self-loathing
Rejection
Misaligned expectations
Unsolicited explicit images or premature or otherwise inappropriate explicit proposition
False representations
Meeting “creeps” or the risk of abuse or violence
Onward sharing of explicit images
Withdrawal from online dating symbolizing commitment
Materials
Competencies
Affordances of the technologies
Technical competencies
Efficient searching and screening and blocking of potential contacts
Range of different apps and websites
General social media technologies
Blurring of online and face-to-face networks and interactions
Searching for and assessing potential contacts
Creating and sharing intimate images to minimize risks that these would be shared
  Social and emotional competencies Managing one’s interactions with contacts
Self-care
Being clear about whether their goals aligned or not
Being clear with oneself about one’s goals
Setting limits to one’s engagement