Grindr is a fascinating rhetorical artifact to study. It fits into many of the more general parts of digital rhetoric but is also a unique platform unto itself due to its content and evolution over time. The rhetoric surrounding it as a digital platform, in particular, is very interesting. As the reading basically says, all rhetoric and communication is based heavily in context. That context is key in understanding the arguments made around Grindr.
For many years it seemed that gay sex was a very underground thing. It was commonly viewed as seedy or dirty and was not something that was openly discussed. It carried far more of a negative connotation than traditional hetero sex due to the homophobia that was and to a certain degree still is prevalent in society. This is initially what made Grindr necessary, as gay men needed their own platform to discuss sex since they would not have been accepted in more mainstream platforms. Unfortunately, this also led to Grindr being labeled seedy or dirty as it focused on gay sex.
This makes its evolution into a more accepted and fully fledged platform interesting. Looking at the term platform, on the surface it may appear to refer to any type of digital medium that features an exchange of rhetoric. That also fits the basic definition given by Faris. However, as the reading says, there is much more to it than that. The connotations associated with a digital platform grant it a certain level of legitimacy. In this case that focuses largely on the improved infrastructure on Grindr which built it into a larger and more legitimate looking platform.
This transformation moved along with the societal context that surrounded Grindr. As homophobia lessened in society at large, gay sex became less taboo, although it is by no means still as acceptable as straight sex. As such, Grindr also became less taboo. This follows with Grindr’s improvements in infrastructure, expanding in terms of functions, advertising, and scale. Grindr may have begun functioning like more of a legitimate platform as a result of the cultural changes, and it also may have inspired further acceptance for gay sex. Whichever the case, the context surrounding Grindr was a huge part of its transformation into a fully formed digital platform.
By giving gay men a now more mainstream platform on for sex, Grindr became an even more important outlet. Just as society develops over time so too must digital platforms develop. As discussed above this can both reflect and influence the changes in mainstream society. Grindr’s evolution allows for issues within the gay community such as perception, appearance, diversity, etc. to be examined and discussed in the necessary ways as an outlet for the gay community, yet also accessible to more mainstream society. This is what makes digital platforms so unique and important in today’s world of communication.
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