The intended and unintended affordances of post-separation parenting apps

Little research has examined the role of specific technologies in relationships characterised by unequal power, such as those which underpin post-separation domestic and family violence. Drawing on the mechanisms and conditions framework of affordances and the methods of feature analysis, this study analyses 32 post-separation parenting apps along with in-depth interviews with 18 Australian victim–survivors who used these platforms with a perpetrator. We identify intended outcomes embedded in app design and contrast them with unintended outcomes emerging in practice. Analysis revealed that the design and promotional materials of the apps influence their use as a reinforcer of litigious mindsets and actions. This combination appears to change user behaviours, leading to communication becoming anticipatory and strategic with mixed outcomes.