Tinder tales: exploring the normalisation of online sexual harassment in modern dating

auteur Laura Byn
tijdschrift RIDP (ISSN: 0223-5404)
jaargang 2024
aflevering Researching the boundaries of sexual integrity, gender violence and image-based abuse
onderdeel Sexual integrity
publicatie datum 20 september 2024
taal English
pagina 169
samenvatting

Tinder has rapidly become the most popular app in heterosexual dating interactions. While Tinder is known for its hook-up facilitating qualities, the platform might also facilitate sexual harassment. Literature confirms a prevalence of sexual harassment on dating apps up to 88.8%. Even more concerning is the careless shrug culture among senders and receivers. This research explores the experiences and perceptions of Tinder users upon facing online sexual harassment using vignettes of both textual and image-based harassment and the normalisation thereof using a qualitative survey. Results confirm that Tinder users receive twice as much textual sexual harassment than non-users. Women also receive significantly more harassing messages than men. Tinder users seem to have a higher tolerance for these messages as they perceive them less negatively than the control group and labelled the behaviour most often as not harassing. Partial responsibility and agency was frequently shifted to the recipient. Non-consensual explicit images were however agreed to be harassing and rather an occurrence from the past. Preventative measures are suggested to tackle a culture that condones sexual harassment.