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- Title
日本のゲイアプリをめぐる多様な経験.
- Authors
砂 川 秀 樹
- Abstract
Location-based dating apps aimed at gay/bisexual men (gay apps) have become a significant part of social networks worldwide. However, few studies of gay apps have been conducted in Japan, so the voices of Japanese users have rarely been heard. This paper shows how gay Japanese men experience these apps, based on a questionnaire survey of 57 respondents and the author's own self-reflections. Though the respondents are rather homogeneous, the purpose of use and their experiences through gay apps are diverse. Communication and connections within gay apps are not confined to the online world, but also cross new encounters and existing relationships in other places. While the diversity of experiences was commonly indicated, participants' impressions of using the apps for the first time were similar. They noted a sense of surprise that "there are so many gay people." What caused this impact was the apps' proximity-based visualization of other app users and the low level of anonymity of profiles with photos. The difference between the omnipresence of heterosexual encounters and the polarization of gay people in Japanese society brings about these feelings of surprise. To understand the influence of gay apps, researchers need to listen to more of their users' voices.
- Publication
Japanese Journal of International Society for Gender Studies, 2022, Vol 20, p43
- ISSN
1348-7337
- Publication type
Article