Twentieth International Conference on New Directions in the Humanities

Abstract

The social networking application Grindr, a platform launched in 2009 intended for queer male users, is now widely considered to be at the forefront of cultural corrosion in the gay community. Empirical work by researchers Tien Ee Dominic Yeo and Tsz Hin Fung (2018)1 offers support for the concern that Grindr exerts a detrimental influence over the gay community due to the tempo the platform imposes on social interactions. However, the concept of an entirely queer platform for users to forge connections in a safe virtual setting is enormously beneficial to this social group. Theorist Sharif Mowlabocus (2010)2 explores the dichotomy of the potential for digital gay communication platforms, acknowledging the promise of increasing connectivity within a minority group, while simultaneously warning of the subcultural proliferation of cybercarnality. This article examines the damage and animosity Grindr inflicts on the gay community by making sexual objectification a pervasive part of the gay experience, the encouragement of anonymity in intimate interactions, and the increasingly transactional view of others. I propose that it is through the design and structure of the application that we observe the mechanisms that encourage objectification and perceived invisibility of self, subsequently promoting these increasingly transactional interactions amongst users. While Grindr is designed to foster communication between members of the gay community, in reality, the nature of these interactions serves to sever feelings of connectivity within this subcultural group. Exploring these shortcomings may elucidate avenues to better forge positive communication methods within this minority community.