By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use. Worldwide, a typical Grindr user spends approximately two hours a day on the app.
That's more time than we spend eating, and more time than most of us spend exercising. Mobile geolocation dating apps are relatively new Grindr was launched in , but unlike the desktop online experience of chat rooms and forums, the mobility of the mobile app means it can be used at the office, or on the toilet, or at dinner with your parents, or even at a gay bar. Or all day. The app offers access to one million men at any given moment, according to Ansley Brown, a representative for Grindr at PR Consulting, and the men are of all ages, races, and body types.
There's something, presumably, for any craving or type. Some gay men use these apps out of boredom, chatting endlessly with no intention of meeting, while others are horny and benefit from the promise of a convenient hookup. There are actually men who use the apps out of a desire for connection with another person.
They may be geographically remote, or part of a constrained social group. Or they could just be lonely and looking for friends or a partner. With so many options and the convenience of the apps, one might assume that we are more likely to assuage our loneliness than we could without them.
In fact, the opposite may be true. Excessive use can do as much good for our mental state as devouring two extra-large McDonald's fries at in the morning can do for our physical health. In much the same way that fast foods offer quick, easy satiety or comfort but can damage the body via refined sugars, sodium, and cholesterol, hookup apps offer quick connection but can damage the psyche -- and the body.
