Sexuality 'in apps'? Older men who have sex with men and their use of dating apps in Brazil

This chapter investigates social app use by older men who have sex with men (MSM) and discusses the impact on their sexuality. As part of this rediscovery of one’s own sexuality, middle-aged and older MSM gradually release themselves from the social restrictions and norms historically imposed on people of that age concerning their sexuality, recreating and reshaping norms to better address their sexual experiences, needs and desires. Dating apps play an important role in this process, which is little investigated in the literature. A total of 412 Brazilians MSM comprised the sample of this study. Our data show that the older MSM who use apps in Brazil have specific patterns of consumption, behaviour and expectations that differentiate them, especially from the younger audience. It is undeniable that the absence of safe places to exercise ‘offline’ sexuality led older MSM to search for apps, as something practical, safe and discreet that meet their expectations. Understanding the role of these apps is crucial for health professionals to be able to appropriate this space, to know the daily life of socio-affective interactions that take place in digital sociotechnical networks.