Love & Sex, dating and chatting through friends matching application : Case study of male-male teenagers who using Blued app

Abstract

This study has purposes 1) to study the meaning of the symbolic sexual interaction 2) to study the self-presentation 3) to study the risk and impacts arising from using Blued application to find friends, lovers or partners of MSM (Men who have Sex with Men). This research is a qualitative research. The Informants were 3 adolescents MSM people aged 20 years and above who used Blued application to finding friends, lovers or partner in 2017-2018. The data collected by using In Depth interview and observation methods. The instrument were interview forms and observations record. Data analyzed by using content analysis, the keywords of the various issues. After that, grouped the topics and create subheading before making a summarize and analyze in description form then comprehend into an essay of event examples, text, or words of the information provider to answer the research question completely. The result found that the informants had meaning of the symbolic sexual expression include this application is the area of relieving boredom and loneliness, and that can fulfill what was their missing. It is also the area that uses the sexual response of themselves by showing off pictures profiles that show the body, the sneaky conversation about sex and the using of disrespectful language. The selfpresentation is found that the informants were presented themself through the profile picture or text chat with others. The effects and risks were found that the informants were compromised human dignity, expect and blocked from the other person. But they were not affected; just feel that may be a risk from using the application to have sex with strangers.