The survey attempt contains 684 respondents, varying in decades anywhere between 18 and you can 77 yrs . old (imply many years years old, SD = ). Predicated on their seasons away from beginning, the brand new respondents were split up for the four generations: Baby boomers, born up to 1964 (n = 71; ten.5%); Age group X, created between 1965 and you will 1980 (n = 125; 18.4%); Millennials, born ranging from 1981 and you can 1996 (letter = 315; 46.4%); and you may Age bracket Z, born between 1997 and you can 2012 (i.elizabeth., 2002 just like the merely participants more 18 years old were able to participate) (n = 168; 24.7%). Very participants was in fact created when you look at the Belgium and you can both of their mothers encountered the Belgian nationality in the course of their birth (letter = 587, 85.8%). Most of the participants was basically highly knowledgeable, with 80.4% (n = 550) reporting its higher knowledge peak as an excellent bachelor’s degree or higher, 18.6% (letter = 127) a high school education and you will 0.9% (n = 6) an elementary school training. The respondents was basically asked to indicate their sexual direction(s), choosing one or more solutions out of an email list, or describing the way they understood in their own personal terminology. 80.8% identified merely because the gay, the others preferring an array of (commonly numerous) name labels, most frequently along with gay, bisexual and queer. Like Age bracket Z users recognized more frequently together with other sexual orientations besides gay (see Dhoest, 2022 to have a much deeper talk ones results).

A first question inquired about the significance of more about three dating and you may hookup sites and you can apps for connecting with others on day when participants in which very first investigating its sexuality (select Dining table ? Table1). step one ). This is generally inside the puberty, ranging amongst the mediocre age of for Seniors and also for Age group Z, however with large personal differences. PlanetRomeo (prior to now titled GayRomeo) is the oldest that, and that originated because the a dating internet site to own gay, bi and you can trans members of 2002 and since progressed to help you as well as bring a mobile app in addition to geolocation ( Grindr was launched once the a cellular application in ’09, instantly offering geolocation, to provide by itself given that a beneficial social networking application getting gay, bi, trans and you will queer some one but such as for example fitted to hookups whilst permitted to in person identify and you may target somebody close ( Tinder is actually current software, revealed because a mobile application into the 2012, maybe not specifically concentrating on LGBTQ people and getting well-known because of it category given that a good safer software which allows users in order to mind-select prospective matches (

Desk step 1

That it timeline is mirrored regarding the identified requirement for these sites and you will apps through the years. Most Baby boomers and you may Age group X participants did not have availability to the functions, unless of course they started examining their sexuality later on in daily life, whereby PlanetRomeo are (very) necessary for extremely. Millennials were the original age group the spot where the most (59.7%) got accessibility PlanetRomeo, which was (very) important for 41.1% of them that has availability. About half (51.9%) got access to Grindr, which was (very) crucial that you 57.4% of them, therefore it is the initial software because of it age group. 43.7% had usage of Tinder, that has been (very) vital that you 53.7%. Availability next rose to have Age group Z respondents, a massive most and therefore (on 95% each) got accessibility these types of services whenever examining its sexuality, as well as which the greater amount of present and less targeted software were most widely used, according to the conclusions away from Robards mais aussi al., (2018, 2019): Tinder 57.4%, Grindr 49.9% and you can PlanetRomeo 13.5%.

Obviously, having Millennials that have entry to matchmaking and hookup web sites and you can applications, these played a crucial role in linking so you’re able to other people

Moving to the present, participants had been in addition to inquired about the necessity of different matchmaking and you will connection internet and you can apps for connecting with family, sexual otherwise romantic people in earlier times 12 months (select Dining table ? Table2). 2 ). 8% deemed (very) important, with Grindr (18.6%) and you may Tinder (step one.4%). For Age bracket X respondents, those web sites and you can applications are extremely even more important, once more that have a desires towards the elderly and a lot more formal PlanetRomeo (forty two.4%) and you can Grindr (40.7%) rather than the more recent much less targeted Tinder (10.5%). To possess Millennials, Grindr (48.1%) and you will Tinder (33.2%) are definitely the most significant programs, if you find yourself PlanetRomeo (24%) is shedding its attract contained in this generation. This might be alot more strongly the truth having Generation Z participants, simply 9% away from whom deem PlanetRomeo (very) crucial, in place of Grindr (45.5%) and you may Tinder (53.6%).