The survey sample consisted of 684 respondents, starting in age ranging from 18 and 77 years of age (suggest decades years old, SD = ). According to its year off birth, the participants was indeed split from inside the four generations: Seniors, produced up to 1964 (n = 71; ten.5%); Age bracket X, created between 1965 and you may 1980 (letter = 125; 18.4%); Millennials, created between 1981 and you can 1996 (n = 315; 46.4%); and you may Generation Z, created between 1997 and 2012 (i.e., 2002 just like the merely respondents more 18 years of age been able to participate) (n = 168; twenty-four.7%). Most respondents was basically born inside the Belgium and you will all of their moms and dads encountered the Belgian nationality at the time of its delivery (letter = 587, 85.8%). All participants was in fact extremely knowledgeable, which have 80.4% (letter = 550) reporting the highest studies height as a bachelor’s education or even more, 18.6% (letter = 127) a twelfth grade studies and you may 0.9% (letter = 6) a simple university training. Brand new participants was basically questioned to indicate its intimate orientation(s), going for a minumum of one solutions of a list 
, otherwise discussing how they known in their own personal words. 80.8% identified just as the homosexual, the others preferring many (tend to several) identity names, usually also gay, bisexual and you can queer. Particularly Age group Z players identified more often with other intimate orientations along with homosexual (discover Dhoest, 2022 to possess a further discussion of these conclusions).
Extremely Middle-agers and you may Age bracket X respondents did not have availability these types of services, unless of course they been exploring its sexuality after in life, whereby PlanetRomeo try (very) very important to extremely
A primary question inquired about the significance of different around three relationship and connection internet sites and you can programs to get in touch with people at the time whenever respondents where very first examining the sex (pick Dining table 1). This was generally inside adolescence, ranging between the average period of getting Seniors and also for Age group Z, but with large private differences. PlanetRomeo (before called GayRomeo) is the earliest you to, hence got its start once the a dating website to possess gay, bi and you can trans members of 2002 and because advanced so you can plus bring a mobile application together with geolocation ( Grindr was released because a cellular software in 2009, instantly offering geolocation, presenting by itself given that an excellent “social network application” to own gay, bi, trans and queer anyone but including suited for hookups since it permitted to yourself pick and address some body close ( Tinder are current software, introduced because a cellular app when you look at the 2012, maybe not especially focusing on LGBTQ individuals plus to-be popular for this category because good “safer” application which allows profiles to worry about-look for possible matches (
It schedule is reflected on the seen requirement for the websites and you will applications during the years. Millennials was the first age bracket where majority (59.7%) got the means to access PlanetRomeo, that has been (very) necessary for 41.1% of these that has access. About 50 % (51.9%) had the means to access Grindr, that has been (very) vital that you 57.4% of these, making it one software because of it age group. 43.7% got usage of Tinder, that was (very) crucial that you 53.7%. Obviously, to possess Millennials having entry to matchmaking and you may connection sites and apps, this type of played a crucial role in the connecting in order to anybody else. Availableness subsequent rose having Age bracket Z participants, a huge almost all and this (in the 95% for every) had access to these services when examining the sex, as well as for exactly who more latest much less focused applications was basically top, in line with the findings out of Robards ainsi que al., (2018, 2019): Tinder 57.4%, Grindr 44.9% and you can PlanetRomeo thirteen.5%.
Moving to the present, participants had been and inquired about the necessity of different dating and you will connections internet sites and software in order to connect having nearest and dearest, intimate otherwise romantic people in earlier times season (discover Desk dos)
8% deemed (very) extremely important, followed closely by Grindr (18.6%) and you will Tinder (step one.4%). To own Age bracket X respondents, those sites and software are particularly more to the point, once more that have a preference with the old and a lot more formal PlanetRomeo (forty-two.4%) and you will Grindr (forty.7%) instead of the newer and less directed Tinder (ten.5%). To have Millennials, Grindr (forty eight.1%) and you may Tinder (33.2%) will be vital software, when you’re PlanetRomeo (24%) is actually shedding the notice within this age group. This is exactly alot more strongly happening getting Age bracket Z respondents, only nine% away from whom consider PlanetRomeo (very) essential, in place of Grindr (45.5%) and Tinder (53.6%).