Gay Men’s Experiences with Location-Based Smartphone Applications for Men seeking Men: A Qualitative Study
Jason Styka, M.S.
Abstract
This study sought to understand the influence of location-based social networking applications (LBAs) designed for men seeking other men on the lives of men who identify as gay. It was anticipated that such knowledge may help gay men better understand the positive and negative influences of this technology. It was also hoped that the results of this study might be helpful to mental health professionals who work with men who identify as gay, and to set the stage for further research. Qualitative research methodology using grounded theory, as delineated by Auerbach and Silverstein (2003), was employed toward the development of an explanatory theory based on the participants’ own words. A total of 16 participants who met the inclusion criteria took part in five group interviews. Theoretical coding was employed and a theoretical narrative detailing the participants’ experiences was developed. Grounded in the data, the proposed theory suggests the use of LBAs impacts the lives of their users in five ways: LBAs Fundamentally Change How Gay Men Meet Each Other, LBA Use Influences Interpersonal Connecting Among Gay Men, LBA Use Generates and is Driven by Complex Affective Experiences, LBAs Shape Social/Behavioral Rules and Assumptions for Gay Men and Gay Male Communities, and LBAs, Over Time, may become an Indispensable Companion. The implications of these findings are discussed in combination with existing literature and using relational psychoanalytic theory. Finally, reflexivity, transferability, directions for future research, and clinical implications are explored.
Key words: gay men, location-based social networking, geolocation, computer mediated communication, online dating, relationship development, casual sex, addiction