Use of ‘gay dating apps’ and its relationship with individual well-being and sense of community in men who have sex with men

Abstract

Use of 'gay dating apps' by men who have sex with men Abstract There is growing literature and empirical work that is investigating if and how mobile phone and tablet dating apps are influencing the lives of their users. An online questionnaire-based study was developed to investigate how men who have sex with men (MSM) use 'gay dating apps' (GDAs), and how such use may relate to different aspects of their lives on an individual and on a collective level. The study included data from 191 MSM living in the UK with varying levels of GDAs use and reasons for using them. Beyond some descriptive information on use of GDAs, the findings showed that, overall, high users of GDAs report a lower sense of community, higher levels of loneliness and lower levels of satisfaction with life. Still, there is some evidence that those MSM who use GDAs mainly for sexual encounters report higher levels of self-esteem and of satisfaction with life compared to those who use GDAs mainly for other reasons. These results suggest that knowing the limits of some of the most popular existing GDAs in what they can offer to MSM and their communities may be important for these men's well-being. It appears that such GDAs cater effectively for those looking for sexual partners, but may have negative implications for those who look for other types of relationships and interactions.

Dating Apps and Their Sociodemographic and Psychosocial Correlates: A Systematic Review

“…This block can also include studies on the problematic use of apps, which can affect the daily lives of users [ 34 , 56 ], and research that focuses on the possible negative psychological effects of their use, as a link has been shown between using dating apps and loneliness, dissatisfaction with life, and feeling excluded from the world [ 24 , 34 , 78 ].…”

Threats to Mental Health Facilitated by Dating Applications Use Among Men Having Sex With Men

“…Available data on mental health primarily describe the prevalence of mental disorders (depression, anxiety, personality disorders) among MSM. In short, these data show that, compared with non-users, MSM using DAs report lower perception of community belonging, higher isolation, less satisfaction with life, and worse quality of sleep (2,21). The stigma and discrimination experienced by the MSM community may be a possible explanation for the more frequent recreational drug use in this group than in the general population.…”

“…Duncan et al (21) found that MSM app users reported low sleep quality (34.6% of respondents) and short sleep duration (43.6% of respondents), which were linked to depressive symptoms, engaging in unprotected anal sex, as well as alcohol and drug use. Moreover, loneliness seemed to be negatively correlated with sharing private information through gay DAs (2). In contrast, a positive impact on sexual self-acceptance could be observed in the LGBT group of people who were digitally connecting to each other (22).…”

“…MSM who mainly seek sexual partners using DAs experience a higher level of confidence and satisfaction with life than men seeking nonsexual relationships. In a group of MSM who are looking for other than sexual relations (e.g., romantic relationship or friendship), using DAs may also lead to frustration due to an unrealized need for intimacy (2).…”

Cigarette Smoking and Dating App Use: Findings from a Survey in a Sample of Adults in Italy

“…These results may support the “loneliness hypothesis” as a common underlying factor between smoking and dating app use. Several studies showed the role of individual loneliness in the motives for dating app use [ 56 , 57 , 58 ]: people who use the apps searching for new people to meet may actively install them as a strategy to reduce social isolation or a way to cope with social anxiety. Therefore, dating app use and cigarette smoking might be parallel strategies to cope with feelings of loneliness or social anxiety.…”