Grindr': Love, sex, and identity: A documentary on how 'Grindr' shapes the concept of love, sex, and identity of a 'Grindr' user

• Main Authors: Kawata, Yuji, Vecta, Heather Sophia Danielle
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2018
• Subjects: Online dating > Philippines; Web sites for sexual minorities; Documentary films > Philippines; Documentary films > Production and direction
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/9417
• Institution: De La Salle University

The rise of new technology paved way for the emergence of online dating applications. In the Philippines, a survey conducted by YouGov indicates that 56% of the Filipino youth have used online dating services with 'Tinder' and 'FilipinoCupid' being the most favorable application for users of online dating service (Occeñnola). In the LGBT community, the more exclusive form of 'Tinder' is 'Grindr'. Since 2009, Grindr has been gaining worldwide attention and has become the largest social network for LGBT community and claims to be more than a just digital space to meet (gtd in Grindr). 'Grindr' is one of the largest all-male online dating service application being used in the Philippines today. The all-male geosocial and dating mobile applications makes finding a male partner less complicated for a male user as the dating app matches the user with more than a thousand possible users (Grindr). With that being said, 'Grindr' becomes a space for the LGBT community to construct intimate and even platonic relationships with other users (Morrison). Users note that they prefer online dating as compared to face-to-face dating as it is less difficult to hook-up or start a relationship with others (Tan). Although 'Grindr' is commonly known for hook-up, the application can also be for users who are finding a relationship and those who desire to express their sexuality. Online dating applications promotes the self-discovery of one's sexuality as the internet provides one an opportunity to use robot where he can experiment and be experimented on (Ross). 'Grindr' : love, sex, and identity is a documentary which aims to explore how 'Grindr' facilitates in positively shaping the concept of love, sex, and identity of a user.