Over 2 billion people swipe, match, and chat on Tinder every day, and the #SwipeLife has taken off in over 190 countries.Īccording to expert reviews, Tinder is relatively gay-friendly, and it works best for gay singles who want to explore the local dating scene, have fun conversations, and keep their options open. As many as 1.5 million dates per week occur because of Tinder. The original swiping app went viral in 2012, and it has dominated the casual dating scene ever since.
The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.Tinder needs no introduction in the online dating scene. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at for further information. One of his key pieces of advice for them - stay off Grindr and other apps meant for adults.įor NPR News, I'm Jenifer McKim in Boston.Ĭopyright © 2021 NPR. MCKIM: Now Chavez is in his 20s and sees himself as a mentor to gay and trans youth. Or, like, your parents are supposed to be taking care of you. Like, you're supposed to be in high school playing. Instead, he blamed himself.ĬHAVEZ: When you think about it, it's like, no. A year later, he says he was using the app to sell sex to help his family pay bills. MCKIM: When he was in middle school, German Chavez says he was sexually assaulted by a 60-year-old man he met on Grindr. So I think it's important that we have some conversations about public policy and legislation to change the current situation. TURBAN: Grindr is also at fault for knowing that this is happening and not doing anything about it. He says people who take advantage of children should be held accountable, but adult-only apps should do more to restrict access.
MCKIM: But he says there's likely hundreds of thousands of minors nationwide using Grindr and similar apps, and families and professionals need to talk to them about how to protect themselves online. That is kind of like a common homophobic myth.
TURBAN: If you look at the research, gay people aren't more likely to be sexual predators than straight people. MCKIM: Turban makes it clear he's not trying to single out the gay community by focusing on Grindr. But it's also way too overwhelming to tell anyone about it. TURBAN: They've reached a breaking point that the situation with this adult sexually exploiting them is overwhelming. MCKIM: Jack Turban specializes in adolescent LGBTQ psychiatry at the Stanford University School of Medicine. JACK TURBAN: We see those kids in the emergency room in a mental health crisis. But researchers say the number of male victims is vastly underreported, in part because boys are less likely to disclose their abuse. Grindr is one of many online sites where minors can be stalked. A Grindr spokesperson said the company takes seriously its responsibilities to prevent misuse and identify misconduct. The list includes police officers, priests and teachers. That's according to an investigation by the GBH News Center for Investigative Reporting. More than 100 men across the United States have faced charges since 2015 related to sexually assaulting or attempting to meet minors for sex on Grindr. MCKIM: But sometimes they meet adult men who are dangerous, leading to sexual exploitation, assault and trafficking. KATHRYN MACAPAGAL: Part of the reason why I think this happens is that there aren't a lot of spaces for LGBT teens online to make friends. Grindr was by far the most popular, says lead researcher Kathryn Macapagal. MCKIM: A 2018 Northwestern University study found more than half of sexually active gay and bisexual adolescent boys found sexual partners on Grindr and other apps. That's what Chavez did.ĬHAVEZ: I lied about my age. But like many apps meant for adults, Grindr doesn't verify identities, and minors can get around the rules. It's supposed to be restricted to those 18 and older. MCKIM: Grindr calls itself the world's largest social networking app for gay, bi, trans and queer people. MCKIM: He couldn't talk to his family about his sexuality.ĬHAVEZ: In my house, if you said the word gay, it was like cancer. What do gay men eat? What do gay men like? How is it, like, growing up gay? But they were just like to know, like, about gay men.
GERMAN CHAVEZ: My intentions were so pure and holy. JENIFER MCKIM, BYLINE: German Chavez sat in a Boston park recently describing why he downloaded the dating app Grindr when he was 13. It's also used by underage boys, which can put them at risk of sexual exploitation and trafficking. The dating app Grindr is a popular site for men seeking other men.