Unsafe interactions in dating apps

Abstract. Online dating is a way for people to meet and connect with potential romantic partners over the internet. It is usually done through a dating website or a dating app, which allows users to create a profile, browse and view other users’ profiles, and communicate with potential matches. Online dating can be a convenient and effective way to find a partner, especially for people who are busy or have difficulty meeting potential partners through traditional means. However, as every technology comes with its pros and cons, the same is with online dating. Risks associated with online dating include, for example, scamming, catfishing, and other forms of online fraud. The thesis focuses on exploring unsafe interactions among dating app users. The research questions considered for this thesis are: 1) What kind of unsafe interactions users report facing in dating apps? 2) How have the reported unsafe interactions been solved? To see what kind of unsafe interactions users have had through dating apps, the data has been collected through a discourses survey. The study employs “Discourses survey" strategy to analyze complex social actions, which identifies public discourse on a specific subject without researcher bias. The data was collected using predefined keywords related to unsafe interactions in dating apps in the following news databases: CNN, BBC, CNBC, DailyMail, FoxNews, and TheGuardian. The searches in the above databases resulted in 391 relevant research articles. The articles were coded into the following categories of unsafe online interactions using a predefined codebook: Information Breaches, Online harassment, Sexual solicitations, Exposure to explicit content, and different Crimes. Each category further included several subcodes. Most of the unsafe interactions reported in the news databases and included in the dataset were related to different crimes (81%), such as different scams, sexual assaults, murder, or fraud. The least were related to exposure to explicit material (0%). Overall, 58% of the incidents in the dataset were resolved most often by the law enforcement agencies such as courts and police, while 42% remained unresolved. For crimes, the resolved rate was slightly higher than the average at 61%, while 39% remained unresolved. Although dating apps offer safety features and detailed guidelines to ensure users’ safety, from the data, it is clear dating apps could take more steps to eradicate unsafe user interactions and help support users in case such interactions happen. Regarding this, I offer some recommendations concerning how to promote a safe environment for online dating. Thus, the main contribution of my thesis is to identify what kind of unsafe interactions are reported on the English-speaking open internet concerning dating apps and identify if these interactions usually get solved. I will also offer a discussion on whether the currently implemented safety features answer these concerns

Shiver Me Tinders, & Ring a Ding for a Fling - Sex Tech Use During COVID-19: Findings from a UK Study

Existing research surrounding dating apps has primarily focused on younger people with few studies exploring usage of such apps by middle aged and older adults. The worldwide COVID-19 pandemic challenged social behaviours and forced people to adapt intimacy and wider relationship conduct. The objective of this study was to examine how older adults utilized dating apps during the lockdowns of the UK pandemic (December 2020–May 2021). Findings presented here focus//on qualitative data collected from an online survey and eight online, one-to-one interviews with adults aged 40–54 years. The online survey targeted adults across the UK while interviewees were located across England. Employing interpretative phenomenological analysis, findings identified three key themes: 1. Morality, health, and law breaking and COVID-19; 2. Self-surveillance and moral signalling; 3. Loneliness and social isolation. Qualitative findings show engaging with apps was a proxy which alleviated feelings of loneliness and social isolation. Some users used the premise of their social bubble as a way of meeting other people. Using the same premise, others justified breaking the law to engage in physical and sexual intimacy to mitigate their loneliness. The work presented here contributes to the fields of social sciences, gerontology, and human computer interaction. The inter- and multi-disciplinary impact of this study intersects across those fields and offers a cross-sectional insight into behaviours and engagement with technology during one of the most extraordinary global events

Inscape 2022

The 2022 edition of the Inscape: Literary and Art Magazine.https://scholarworks.moreheadstate.edu/inscape_magazine_archive/1083/thumbnail.jp

Republican Journal: Vol. 48, No. 7 - August 16,1877

https://digitalmaine.com/rj_1877/1033/thumbnail.jp

Las Vegas Optic, 07-07-1913

https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/lvdo_news/3040/thumbnail.jp

Las Vegas Optic, 08-12-1913

https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/lvdo_news/3071/thumbnail.jp

Santa Fe New Mexican, 11-26-1906

https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/sfnm_news/7481/thumbnail.jp