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Identity, identification and identifiability: the language of self-presentation on a location-based mobile dating app

Authors:

Jeremy Birnholtz,

Colin Fitzpatrick,

Jed R. BrubakerAuthors Info & Claims

MobileHCI '14: Proceedings of the 16th international conference on Human-computer interaction with mobile devices & services

Pages 3 - 12

https://doi.org/10.1145/2628363.2628406

Published: 23 September 2014 Publication History

Abstract

Location-aware mobile applications have become extremely common, with a recent wave of mobile dating applications that provide relatively sparse profiles to connect nearby individuals who may not know each other for immediate social or sexual encounters. These applications have become particularly popular among men who have sex with men (MSM) and raise a range of questions about self-presentation, visibility to others, and impression formation, as traditional geographic boundaries and social circles are crossed. In this paper we address two key questions around how people manage potentially stigmatized identities in using these apps and what types of information they use to self-present in the absence of a detailed profile or rich social cues. To do so, we draw on profile data observed in twelve locations on Grindr, a location-aware social application for MSM. Results suggest clear use of language to manage stigma associated with casual sex, and that users draw regularly on location information and other descriptive language to present concisely to others nearby.

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Cited By

Alizadeh FLawo DStevens GZytko DEslami M(2024)When the "Matchmaker" Does Not Have Your Interest at Heart: Perceived Algorithmic Harms, Folk Theories, and Users' Counter-Strategies on TinderProceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction10.1145/36897108:CSCW2(1-29)Online publication date: 8-Nov-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3689710
Tran ARothschild AKender KOsipova EKinnee BTaylor JMeyer LHaimson OLight ADisalvo C(2024)Making Trouble: Techniques for Queering Data and AI SystemsCompanion Publication of the 2024 ACM Designing Interactive Systems Conference10.1145/3656156.3658393(381-384)Online publication date: 1-Jul-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3656156.3658393
DeVito MFeuston JMelder EMalloy CPonder CBrubaker J(2024)Safety and Community Context: Exploring a Transfeminist Approach to Sapphic Relationship PlatformsProceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction10.1145/36536948:CSCW1(1-34)Online publication date: 26-Apr-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3653694
Show More Cited By

Index Terms

Identity, identification and identifiability: the language of self-presentation on a location-based mobile dating app
1. Information systems
  1. World Wide Web
    1. Web applications
      1. Internet communications tools

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Information & Contributors

Information

Published In

cover image ACM Conferences

MobileHCI '14: Proceedings of the 16th international conference on Human-computer interaction with mobile devices & services

September 2014

664 pages

ISBN:9781450330046

DOI:10.1145/2628363

Conference Chairs:
Aaron Quigley
University of St. Andrews, UK
,
Sara Diamond
OCAD University, Canada
,
Program Chairs:
Pourang Irani
University of Manitoba, Canada
,
Sriram Subramanian
University of Bristol, UK

Copyright © 2014 ACM.

Permission to make digital or hard copies of all or part of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that copies bear this notice and the full citation on the first page. Copyrights for components of this work owned by others than ACM must be honored. Abstracting with credit is permitted. To copy otherwise, or republish, to post on servers or to redistribute to lists, requires prior specific permission and/or a fee. Request permissions from [email protected]

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SIGCHI: ACM Special Interest Group on Computer-Human Interaction

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Association for Computing Machinery

New York, NY, United States

Publication History

Published: 23 September 2014

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Northwestern University

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MobileHCI '14

Sponsor:

SIGCHI

MobileHCI '14: 16th International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction with Mobile Devices and Services

September 23 - 26, 2014

ON, Toronto, Canada

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MobileHCI '14 Paper Acceptance Rate 35 of 124 submissions, 28%;

Overall Acceptance Rate 202 of 906 submissions, 22%

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Cited By

Alizadeh FLawo DStevens GZytko DEslami M(2024)When the "Matchmaker" Does Not Have Your Interest at Heart: Perceived Algorithmic Harms, Folk Theories, and Users' Counter-Strategies on TinderProceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction10.1145/36897108:CSCW2(1-29)Online publication date: 8-Nov-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3689710
Tran ARothschild AKender KOsipova EKinnee BTaylor JMeyer LHaimson OLight ADisalvo C(2024)Making Trouble: Techniques for Queering Data and AI SystemsCompanion Publication of the 2024 ACM Designing Interactive Systems Conference10.1145/3656156.3658393(381-384)Online publication date: 1-Jul-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3656156.3658393
DeVito MFeuston JMelder EMalloy CPonder CBrubaker J(2024)Safety and Community Context: Exploring a Transfeminist Approach to Sapphic Relationship PlatformsProceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction10.1145/36536948:CSCW1(1-34)Online publication date: 26-Apr-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3653694
Neupart MAshbrook DBarkhuus L(2024)Queering the Space: Location-Based Stories for Transforming Space into PlaceExtended Abstracts of the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems10.1145/3613905.3650885(1-6)Online publication date: 11-May-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3613905.3650885
Park SLim HLee J(2024)“Some Hope, Many Despair”: Experiences of the Normalization within Online Dating among Queer Women in a Closeted SocietyProceedings of the 2024 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems10.1145/3613904.3642893(1-15)Online publication date: 11-May-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3613904.3642893
Teixeira Riggs A(2024)For queer lovers and friends: an exploration of queer connection by design in the Lex Mobile AppFeminist Media Studies10.1080/14680777.2024.2372463(1-19)Online publication date: 28-Jun-2024
https://doi.org/10.1080/14680777.2024.2372463
Maíz-Arévalo CMaíz-Arévalo C(2024)Humour as a Self-Presentation StrategyThe Power of Self-Presentation10.1007/978-3-031-52931-3_4(101-132)Online publication date: 10-Feb-2024
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-52931-3_4
Katz R(2023)Grindr Tourism Among Tourists, Locals, and Immigrants: Dating App Impacts for Social Relations, Gay Tourism, and Digital ConvergenceSocial Media + Society10.1177/205630512311920339:3Online publication date: 30-Aug-2023
https://doi.org/10.1177/20563051231192033
Gilbert SShilton KVitak J(2023)When research is the context: Cross-platform user expectations for social media data reuseBig Data & Society10.1177/2053951723116410810:1Online publication date: 28-Mar-2023
https://doi.org/10.1177/20539517231164108
Parry DFilice EJohnson C(2023)Algorithmic heteronormativity: Powers and pleasures of dating and hook-up appsSexualities10.1177/1363460722114462627:8(1589-1607)Online publication date: 18-Feb-2023
https://doi.org/10.1177/13634607221144626
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