Swipe, Hookup and Harassment: The Complex Scripts of Dating App Culture

Dating apps such as Tinder have not only digitalised the dating game, they are also a facilitating medium for hooking up. Yet this opportunity does not come without risks. Literature has found a prevalence of online sexual harassment up to 70% among young people. Its seemingly frequent normalisation among both senders and receivers of harassing messages raises concern.

Using sexual script theory, this research sheds light on the current norms of sex(uality) and dating to get a better understanding of the experiences and perceptions of dating app users upon facing online sexual harassment. Heterosexual students in Ghent active on Tinder between the age of 18 and 25 were questioned using a qualitative survey.

The data have shown that while many oppose the traditional heterosexual gender roles, the market-like system of Tinder seems to enforce more traditional courtship with a so-called ‘Tinder etiquette’. Even the new-found sexual freedom of women is a double-edged sword. Remarkably, students who hook up using Tinder have more frequent yet safer casual sex than non-dating app users.

Data also show the presence of sexual harassment on Tinder. Users overall received notably more sexually harassing messages than non-users. Moreover, they had a less negative perception and higher tolerance for sexually harassing messages. Respondents frequently placed the responsibility in the hands of the recipient stating that anyone could and should expect this behaviour on Tinder, thereby normalising and minimising harassing messages.