The Gay Gayze: Expressions of Inequality on Grindr

Social media programs such as Grindr, a geolocation-based phone dating app allowing gay men to connect with others in their proximity, have redefined how gay men interact. My purpose here is to demonstrate how new technologies, ironically, have reinforced existing cultural practices, and I show how body typing, ageism, racism, and HIV stigma are reproduced within gay men's self-performance on the app. In doing so, this study adds to the broader sociological understanding of how the presentation of self is performed in digitally produced environments, especially as it relates to intimate encounters with others. Finally, I consider how the structure of the app, and the general makeup of online worlds, make such phenomena more easily reproducible.