The exponential progression of technological advancement has profoundly impacted the way in which we live our lives and has led to giant leaps in social progression in gay culture. The magic wand known as the iPhone can be perceived as an extension of ourselves, and once accepted as that allows for a vast expansion of human interaction with the world around us. Richard Dawkins describes these advancements as our extended phenotype. That is, our phenotype should not be limited to biological processes, rather extended to include all effects that a gene has on its environment, inside or outside of the body of the individual organism. It allows for behaviour that otherwise would be impossible before the rise of smart devices.
For the gay community especially it allows free social cohesion outside of clubs, bars or beats. Apps such as Grindr, Hornet and Tinder introduce a virtual, game-like experience to dating and social life. They can provide the security of anonymity for those not 'out', yet also have specific subsections for those who. very much are. This kind of connectivity normalises an otherwise socially restricted community. For example, if I had known at age 13 that there were X amount of other likeminded people nearby, I might not have felt so isolated. Compared to the isolation I felt when I was younger, I now find myself stopping in the street to speak to the people that would have otherwise been faceless strangers and finding interest in seeing what they are really like outside of their contrived user profile. .
Most dating apps use location based software that geo-locates you to connect you with people nearby. Hornet for example has an additional feature that allows users to 'explore' worldwide down to very specific locations. This effectively allows you to speak with any gay male around the world at any time. During the height of the Syrian war I got the chance to speak to a local Syrian guy, he described his situation as being without food, water or electricity.
