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Gender Roles and Mobile Dating Applications: Exploring Links Between User Characteristics and Traditional Gender
Femke Konings1,2, Sindy R Sumter3, Laura Vandenbosch4,5
1Leuven School for Mass Communication Research, Department of Communication Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium. femke.konings@kuleuven.be.
Archives of Sexual Behavior
|June 6, 2024
Summary
Young adults on mobile dating apps (MDA) often present themselves according to traditional gender roles, with women’s femininity linked to their gender orientation. Men’s masculinity presentation was not significantly associated with their gender orientation.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Communication Studies
Background:
- Mobile dating applications (MDA) are increasingly used by young adults for social interaction and relationship formation.
- Understanding how users present themselves on these platforms offers insights into social norms and identity construction.
- Traditional gender roles and expressions continue to influence self-presentation in digital spaces.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the prevalence of traditional gender expressions in mobile dating application (MDA) profiles.
- To investigate how users' gender, sexual orientation, and platform type relate to these self-presentations.
- To explore the connection between individuals' gender orientation and their engagement in traditional gender expressions.
Main Methods:
- A linkage study analyzed textual and visual profile cues from 396 young adults' MDA profiles (biographies and pictures).
- Media content data for 184 users were linked to self-report survey data.
- Statistical analyses were conducted to assess the relationship between profile content and user characteristics.
Main Results:
- Individuals aligned their self-presentations with traditional gender roles and expectations, with this link dependent on their gender.
- Women with stronger feminine gender orientation expressed more traditional femininity in their MDA profiles.
- No significant differences were found based on sexual orientation or platform type; men's masculinity presentation did not significantly associate with their gender orientation.
Conclusions:
- Self-presentation on MDA reflects traditional gender roles, particularly for women, influenced by their gender orientation.
- Future research should further explore selective gendered self-presentations in digital contexts.
- MDA profiles serve as a site for negotiating and performing gendered identities.
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