The quest for meaningful connections: Navigating scripted sexuality on Instagram amid Grindr and Tinder fatigue

Abstract

In the contemporary digital age, the experience of intimacy, sex, and love has been profoundly transformed, in part due to technological transformations. How do individuals navigate the evolving landscape of dating in the digital age to seek meaningful connections? To answer that, I conducted 30 individual, in-depth interviews with queer men in Argentina. Drawing on the conceptual apparatus of the sociology of sexuality and research on social media repertoires, I argue that different platforms elicit specific imaginaries, relationships, and pleasures. While Grindr emphasizes sexual explicitness and anonymity, Tinder offers a more conversational and personal experience. However, scripted and repetitive conversations tend to foster feelings of anxiety, boredom, and fatigue. Thus, many interviewees opt to escape the dating environment to Instagram, a platform that provides them a space for more authentic and pleasant interactions. These findings expand the notion of networked intimacy beyond the realm of dating platforms to social media and messaging apps.