The eroticism of Internet cruising as a self-contained behaviour: a multivariate analysis of men seeking men demographics and getting off online

Abstract

Most studies on men seeking men and who use the Internet for sexual purposes have focused on the epidemiological outcomes of Internet cruising. Other research has only focused on online sexual behaviours such as cybersex. The present study examines men who find the acts of Internet cruising and emailing to be erotic as self-contained behaviours. We surveyed 499 men who used craigslist.org for sexually-oriented purposes, and ran an ordinary least squares multiple regression model to determine the demographic characteristics of men seeking men who found Internet cruising erotic. Our results showed that younger compared to older men seeking men found the acts erotic. Likewise, men seeking men from mid-sized cities and large cities compared to men from smaller cities found Internet cruising and emailing to be erotic. Most notably, bisexual- and heterosexual-identifying men seeking men compared to gay-identifying men found these acts to be more erotic. Our results suggested that self-contained Internet cruising might provide dual functions. For some men (e.g., heterosexual-identifying men), the behaviour provides a sexual outlet in which fantasy and experimentation may be explored without risking stigmatization. For other men (e.g., those from large cities), the behaviour may be an alternative to offset sexual risk while still being able to ‘get off’.

Online Social Networking, Sexual Risk and Protective Behaviors: Considerations for Clinicians and Researchers

“…This is especially true for research on the sexual risk behaviors of MSM who have used the internet for partner seeking since the early 1990s [24]. SNS designed for partner-seeking among MSM have grown popular because they give users the ability to (a) conveniently and quickly locate sexual partners [25], (b) sort opportunities for sex by partner characteristics and preferences [26], (c) control information about sexual preferences and behaviors [27], and (d) engage with a community of similar individuals that can provide social support free from stigmatized reactions from friends and family [27-29]. A study of 2,505 MSM from the UK demonstrated that from 1993 to 2002, the percentage of MSM who met their first male sexual partner through the internet increased from 3% to 61% [30]; at the same time percentages of MSM who met their partners in gay venues such as bars and clubs declined from 34% to 17%.…”

Cruising y e-citas: un nuevo contexto para los encuentros sexuales entre hombres jóvenes que tienen sexo con hombres

“…MSM users of e-dating cannot be considered a homogeneous group, but diverse and plural in terms of sexual identity 7 . The results caution against the stereotypes that limit cruising to the self-identified homosexual population and suggest a much more unstable view of gender and sexuality 9 .…”

“…The acronym MSM can cause confusion if we accept it as an ontological social category, overlooking its epidemiological genesis in the process. Despite its limitations, the acronym's use in this study helps us de-stigmatize the practices that interest us here (cruising) as exclusive to the gay community, thus responding to studies that point to eroticization via the Internet by men self-identified as bisexual or heterosexual 7 .…”

“…In recent years, with the growth and diffusion of the information and communication society, attention has focused on encounters mediated by the Internet. From this line of analysis, studies have delved into the eroticization of Internet cruising, more common among young men from large cities 7 .…”

Sexuality and digital Space

“…One branch of the literature on attracting and selecting intimate partners focuses on people's self‐presentational strategies to attract potential sexual and romantic partners (Blackwell, Birnholtz, & Abbott, 2015; Ellison, Heino, & Gibbs, 2006; Hobbs, Owen, & Gerber, 2017). The second branch of this literature analyzes how the technological affordances of digital dating platforms structure online intimacies, including dating websites and mobile dating applications (Chan, 2018; Davis, Hart, Bolding, Sherr, & Elford, 2006; Lynch, 2010; Race, 2015; Robinson & Moskowitz, 2013).…”