PENGGUNAAN GRINDR SEBAGAI MEDIA KOMUNIKASI DI KALANGAN GAY (Studi pada Kalangan Gay di Komunitas Dancer Kota Malang)
This research based on the emergence of LGBT phenomena (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) which is currently under the spotlight. Gay and bisexual searching some way to stay connected with friends who have same sex orientation. Grindr is a form of communication media which addressed to gay and bisexual people, which in its operation using geo-location system to help finding fellow users. The purpose is to know the using of Grindr as a communication media in gay circle in dancer community in Malang City.
This research is using case study method, which the oncoming concept using social penetration theory, FIRO theory, and social exchange theory. This research is a qualitative research with the Grindr users as the subject. The researcher using purposing sampling technique and the samples will be considered in data collections which according to the researcher are match with the target of this research, that is the members of dancer community in Malang City, the total of the informants are five. While the data analysis techniques that have been used are: data reduction, data display, and drawing and verifying conclusions.
Grindr is social media which exist in smartphone with the ability to finding fellow users based on location. Grindr is useful to find user with sex orientation gay or bisexual, because Grindr created for men. Grindr has function to do chat with fellow users. Not only have that, the users also able to send document. The advantage of Grindr lies on the user view that shows the user by the certain location. For the free version user, the view will be limited only a hundred users. Different with the paid version, it able to shows more users around. The problem that often found lately in its use is the using of Grindr is limited by the government, so the users cannot freely open Grindr. The solution of it to resolve this problem is by using VPN or the third party application that using provider to giving free access to open Grindr.
The conclusion of this research’s result is to fully support the needs of informant to search and to have a friends with same sex orientation that also convenient with the user’s location. The simple view that the application has also make it easier for the user to operate it.