research-article

The Roles of Sensation Seeking and Gratifications Sought in Social Networking Apps Use and Attendant Sexual Behaviors

Authors:

Tien Ee Dominic Yeo,

Yu Leung NgAuthors Info & Claims

SMSociety '16: Proceedings of the 7th 2016 International Conference on Social Media & Society

Article No.: 18, Pages 1 - 9

https://doi.org/10.1145/2930971.2930990

Published: 11 July 2016 Publication History

Abstract

The rise of social networking mobile applications (apps) (e.g, Grindr, Jack'd) created specifically for men who have sex with men (MSM) has generated public health concerns and conflicting studies about the impact on risky sexual behaviors. This study seeks to gain a more precise understanding of why and how MSM are using social networking mobile apps, and informs the theoretical debate concerning the impact of social networking technology on sexual risk behaviors. A questionnaire survey was conducted, both online and offline, with young MSM app-users in Hong Kong to examine their apps use (frequency, history, and exposure of own face and body) and recent sexual partnering via apps (total sexual partners [TSP] and condomless sex partners [CSP]) in relation to gratifications sought and sexual sensation seeking. The results indicated that finding sexual partners was not a high priority for using MSM apps; surveillance, relationship, and diversion motives were more important while social motive shared similar importance. App-use frequency, sex motive, and sexual sensation seeking predicted more TSP while surveillance motive predicted fewer TSP. None of these variables, however, directly predicted CSP. Sexual sensation seeking in interaction with sex or diversion motive predicted both TSP and CSP. Despite lacking significant association with sex motive or sexual sensation seeking, app-use frequency was a stronger independent predictor of TSP. While frequent app use may facilitate more app-met sexual partners, this study found no evidence indicating that app use promotes riskier sexual behavior with those partners.

References

[1]

Aiken, L.S., West, S.G. and Reno, R.R. 1991. Multiple Regression: Testing and Interpreting Interactions. SAGE Publications.

[2]

Baams, L., Jonas, K.J., Utz, S., Bos, H.M.W. and van der Vuurst, L. 2011. Internet use and online social support among same sex attracted individuals of different ages. Computers in Human Behavior. 27, 5 (Sep. 2011), 1820--1827.

Digital Library

[3]

Bancroft, J., Janssen, E., Strong, D., Carnes, L., Vukadinovic, Z. and Long, J.S. 2003. Sexual Risk-Taking in Gay Men: The Relevance of Sexual Arousability, Mood, and Sensation Seeking. Archives of Sexual Behavior. 32, 6 (Dec. 2003), 555--572.

[4]

Bauermeister, J.A., Ventuneac, A., Pingel, E. and Parsons, J.T. 2012. Spectrums of love: examining the relationship between romantic motivations and sexual risk among young gay and bisexual men. AIDS and behavior. 16, 6 (Aug. 2012), 1549--1559.

[5]

Bien, C.H., Best, J.M., Muessig, K.E., Wei, C., Han, L. and Tucker, J.D. 2015. Gay Apps for Seeking Sex Partners in China: Implications for MSM Sexual Health. AIDS and Behavior. (Jan. 2015), 1--6.

[6]

Blackwell, C., Birnholtz, J. and Abbott, C. 2014. Seeing and being seen: Co-situation and impression formation using Grindr, a location-aware gay dating app. New Media & Society. (Feb. 2014), 1461444814521595.

[7]

Chen, H.-T. and Kim, Y. 2013. Problematic Use of Social Network Sites: The Interactive Relationship Between Gratifications Sought and Privacy Concerns. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking. 16, 11 (Sep. 2013), 806--812.

[8]

Consumer Barometer 2015. Insights from Google Consumer Barometer.

[9]

Cooper, M.L., Barber, L.L., Zhaoyang, R. and Talley, A.E. 2011. Motivational Pursuits in the Context of Human Sexual Relationships. Journal of Personality. 79, 6 (2011), 1333--1368.

[10]

Cooper, M.L., Shapiro, C.M. and Powers, A.M. 1998. Motivations for sex and risky sexual behavior among adolescents and young adults: a functional perspective. Journal of personality and social psychology. 75, 6 (Dec. 1998), 1528--1558.

[11]

Crowson, M. and Goulding, A. 2013. Virtually homosexual: Technoromanticism, demarginalisation and identity formation among homosexual males. Computers in Human Behavior. 29, 5 (Sep. 2013), A31--A39.

[12]

Dhir, A., Chen, S. and Nieminen, M. 2015. Predicting adolescent Internet addiction: The roles of demographics, technology accessibility, unwillingness to communicate and sought Internet gratifications. Computers in Human Behavior. 51, Part A, (Oct. 2015), 24--33.

Digital Library

[13]

Grosskopf, N.A., Harris, J.K., Wallace, B.C. and Nanin, J.E. 2011. Online Sex-Seeking Behaviors of Men Who Have Sex With Men in New York City. American Journal of Men's Health. 5, 5 (Sep. 2011), 378--385.

[14]

Grosskopf, N.A., LeVasseur, M.T. and Glaser, D.B. 2014. Use of the Internet and Mobile-Based "Apps" for Sex-Seeking Among Men Who Have Sex With Men in New York City. American Journal of Men's Health. 8, 6 (Nov. 2014), 510--520.

[15]

Gudelunas, D. 2012. There's an App for that: The Uses and Gratifications of Online Social Networks for Gay Men. Sexuality & Culture. 16, 4 (Jan. 2012), 347--365.

[16]

Holloway, I.W., Rice, E., Gibbs, J., Winetrobe, H., Dunlap, S. and Rhoades, H. 2014. Acceptability of Smartphone Application-Based HIV Prevention Among Young Men Who Have Sex With Men. AIDS and Behavior. 18, 2 (Feb. 2014), 285--296.

[17]

Horvath, K.J., Rosser, B.R.S. and Remafedi, G. 2008. Sexual Risk Taking Among Young Internet-Using Men Who Have Sex With Men. American Journal of Public Health. 98, 6 (Jun. 2008), 1059--1067.

[18]

Hyun, K.D., Kim, J. and Sun, S. 2014. News use, nationalism, and Internet use motivations as predictors of anti-Japanese political actions in China. Asian Journal of Communication. 24, 6 (Oct. 2014), 589--604.

[19]

Kalichman, S.C. and Rompa, D. 1995. Sexual Sensation Seeking and Sexual Compulsivity Scales: Validity, and Predicting HIV Risk Behavior. Journal of Personality Assessment. 65, 3 (Dec. 1995), 586--601.

[20]

Katz, E., Blumler, J.G. and Gurevitch, M. 1974. Utilization of mass communication by the individual. The uses of mass communications: Current perspectives on gratifications research. J.G. Blumler and E. Katz, eds. Sage. 269--286.

[21]

Kong, T.S.K. 2011. Chinese Male Homosexualities: Memba, Tongzhi and Golden Boy. Routledge.

[22]

Landovitz, R.J., Tseng, C.-H., Weissman, M., Haymer, M., Mendenhall, B., Rogers, K., Veniegas, R., Gorbach, P.M., Reback, C.J. and Shoptaw, S. 2012. Epidemiology, Sexual Risk Behavior, and HIV Prevention Practices of Men who Have Sex with Men Using GRINDR in Los Angeles, California. Journal of urban health: bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine. (Sep. 2012).

[23]

Lehmiller, J.J. and Ioerger, M. 2014. Social Networking Smartphone Applications and Sexual Health Outcomes among Men Who Have Sex with Men. PLoS ONE. 9, 1 (Jan. 2014), e86603.

[24]

Leung, L. 2001. Gratifications, chronic loneliness and internet use. Asian Journal of Communication. 11, 1 (Jan. 2001), 96--119.

[25]

Levy, M.R. and Windahl, S. 1985. The concept of audience activity. Media gratifications research: Current perspectives. K.E. Rosengren, L.A. Wenner, and P. Palmgreen, eds. Sage. 109--122.

[26]

Matarelli, S.A. 2013. Sexual sensation seeking and Internet sex-seeking of Middle Eastern men who have sex with men. Archives of Sexual Behavior. 42, 7 (Oct. 2013), 1285--1297.

[27]

McKenna, K.Y.A. and Bargh, J. 1998. Coming out in the age of the Internet: Identity demarginalization through virtual group participation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 75, (1998), 681--694.

[28]

Miller, B. 2015. "They're the modern-day gay bar": Exploring the uses and gratifications of social networks for men who have sex with men. Computers in Human Behavior. 51, Part A, (Oct. 2015), 476--482.

Digital Library

[29]

Newcomb, M.E., Ryan, D.T., Garofalo, R. and Mustanski, B. 2014. The Effects of Sexual Partnership and Relationship Characteristics on Three Sexual Risk Variables in Young Men Who Have Sex with Men. Archives of Sexual Behavior. 43, 1 (2014), 61--72.

[30]

Papacharissi, Z. 2009. Uses and Gratifications. An Integrated Approach to Communication Theory and Research. D.W. Stacks and M.B. Salwen, eds. Routledge. 137--152.

[31]

Phillips, G., Magnus, M., Kuo, I., Rawls, A., Peterson, J., Jia, Y., Opoku, J. and Greenberg, A.E. 2014. Use of Geosocial Networking (GSN) Mobile Phone Applications to Find Men for Sex by Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM) in Washington, DC. AIDS and Behavior. 18, 9 (Mar. 2014), 1630--1637.

[32]

Race, K. 2015. Speculative pragmatism and intimate arrangements: online hook-up devices in gay life. Culture, Health & Sexuality. 17, 4 (Apr. 2015), 496--511.

[33]

Rice, E., Holloway, I., Winetrobe, H., Rhoades, H., Barman-Adhikari, A., Gibbs, J., Carranza, A., Dent, D. and Dunlap, S. 2012. Sex Risk among Young Men who have Sex with Men who use Grindr, a Smartphone Geosocial Networking Application. Journal of AIDS & Clinical Research. S4-005, (2012).

[34]

Rubin, A.M. 2002. The uses-and-gratifications perspective of media effects. Media effects: Advances in theory and research. J. Bryant and D. Zillmann, eds. Lawrence Erlbaum. 525--548.

[35]

Rudy, E., Beymer, M., Aynalem, G., Rodriguez, J., Plant, A., Bolan, R. and Kerndt, P.R. 2012. Grindr and Other Geosocial Networking Applications: Advent of a Novel, High-Risk Sexual Market Place. (Minneapolis, MN, Mar. 2012).

[36]

So, J. 2012. Uses, Gratifications, and Beyond: Toward a Model of Motivated Media Exposure and Its Effects on Risk Perception. Communication Theory. 22, 2 (2012), 116--137.

[37]

Sundar, S.S. and Limperos, A.M. 2013. Uses and Grats 2.0: New Gratifications for New Media. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media. 57, 4 (Oct. 2013), 504--525.

[38]

Van De Wiele, C. and Tong, S.T. 2014. Breaking Boundaries: The Uses & Gratifications of Grindr. Proceedings of the 2014 ACM International Joint Conference on Pervasive and Ubiquitous Computing (New York, NY, USA, 2014), 619--630.

Digital Library

[39]

Wang, Y. and Sun, S. 2009. Examining Chinese students' Internet use and cross-cultural adaptation: does loneliness speak much? Asian Journal of Communication. 19, 1 (Mar. 2009), 80--96.

[40]

Winetrobe, H., Rice, E., Bauermeister, J., Petering, R. and Holloway, I.W. 2014. Associations of unprotected anal intercourse with Grindr-met partners among Grindr-using young men who have sex with men in Los Angeles. AIDS Care. 26, 10 (Oct. 2014), 1303--1308.

[41]

Yeo, T.E.D. and Fung, T.H. in press. Between "0" and "1": safer sex and condom use among young gay men in Hong Kong. Culture, Health & Sexuality. (in press).

Cited By

Wang S(2024)How Platform Exchange and Safeguards Matter: The Case of Sexual Risk in Airbnb and CouchsurfingProceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction10.1145/36536958:CSCW1(1-23)Online publication date: 26-Apr-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3653695
Tanenbaum JTanenbaum K(2018)Steampunk, Survivalism and Sex Toys: An Exploration of How and Why HCI Studies Peripheral PracticesNew Directions in Third Wave Human-Computer Interaction: Volume 2 - Methodologies10.1007/978-3-319-73374-6_2(11-24)Online publication date: 28-Jun-2018
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-73374-6_2

Recommendations

Uses and gratifications of social networking sites for bridging and bonding social capital

Applying uses and gratifications theory (UGT) and social capital theory, our study examined users of four social networking sites (SNSs) (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat), and their influence on online bridging and bonding social capital. ...
A tool for help or harm? How associations between social networking use, social support, and mental health differ for sexual minority and heterosexual youth

Although use of social networking sites has been linked to both positive and negative changes in young people's mental health, it is likely that these contributions may vary based on users' motivations and social status. For sexual minority youth, for ...
Online sexual activity in Mainland China

More men reported engaging in all subtypes of OSA experience than women.Men reported a higher frequency of SEM and flirting than women.Sexual sensation seeking, SOI-behavior and desire significantly predicted OSA.SSS, SOI-behavior and desire fully ...

Comments

Please enable JavaScript to view thecomments powered by Disqus.

Information & Contributors

Information

Published In

cover image ACM Other conferences

SMSociety '16: Proceedings of the 7th 2016 International Conference on Social Media & Society

July 2016

220 pages

ISBN:9781450339384

DOI:10.1145/2930971

Editors:
Anatoliy Gruzd
Ryerson University
,
Jenna Jacobson
University of Toronto
,
Philip Mai
Ryerson University
,
Evelyn Ruppert
University of London
,
Dhiraj Murthy
University of London

Copyright © 2016 ACM.

Permission to make digital or hard copies of all or part of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that copies bear this notice and the full citation on the first page. Copyrights for components of this work owned by others than the author(s) must be honored. Abstracting with credit is permitted. To copy otherwise, or republish, to post on servers or to redistribute to lists, requires prior specific permission and/or a fee. Request permissions from [email protected].

Publisher

Association for Computing Machinery

New York, NY, United States

Publication History

Published: 11 July 2016

Permissions

Request permissions for this article.

Request Permissions

Check for updates

Author Tags

Qualifiers

Research-article
Research
Refereed limited

Funding Sources

Research Grants Council, University Grants Committee

Conference

SMSociety '16

SMSociety '16: 2016 International Conference on Social Media & Society

July 11 - 13, 2016

London, United Kingdom

Acceptance Rates

Overall Acceptance Rate 78 of 189 submissions, 41%

Contributors

Other Metrics

View Article Metrics

Bibliometrics & Citations

Bibliometrics

Article Metrics

2
Total Citations
View Citations
160
Total Downloads

Downloads (Last 12 months)9
Downloads (Last 6 weeks)3

Reflects downloads up to 14 Nov 2024

Other Metrics

View Author Metrics

Citations

Cited By

Wang S(2024)How Platform Exchange and Safeguards Matter: The Case of Sexual Risk in Airbnb and CouchsurfingProceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction10.1145/36536958:CSCW1(1-23)Online publication date: 26-Apr-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3653695
Tanenbaum JTanenbaum K(2018)Steampunk, Survivalism and Sex Toys: An Exploration of How and Why HCI Studies Peripheral PracticesNew Directions in Third Wave Human-Computer Interaction: Volume 2 - Methodologies10.1007/978-3-319-73374-6_2(11-24)Online publication date: 28-Jun-2018
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-73374-6_2

View Options

Get Access

Login options

Check if you have access through your login credentials or your institution to get full access on this article.

Full Access

Get this Publication

View options

PDF

View or Download as a PDF file.

eReader

View online with eReader.

Media

Figures

Other

Tables

View Table of Contents