A reader writes:
Dreher finds Grindr dehumanizing. Yes, that's why he's such a staunch supporter of integrating gay relationships into the culture.
Another writes:
I live in Manhattan, where every iPhone-owning gay man I know has Grindr. It's actually starting to ruin gay life here.
I can't tell you the number of parties I've been to where young, attractive, single gay men spend a majority of the night off in some corner cruising Grindr instead of having fun with their friends; I've been to gay bars where several hot guys will be standing next to each other at the bar, each one with his nose buried in Grindr instead of, you know, talking to the hot guys next to him. Even if they're all getting laid successfully from all this Grinding--and I doubt they are, from what my friends have told me--doesn't that sound like some really shitty nightlife to you?
The future is now, and it is lame.
Another writes:
Let's be real. The world without Grindr is not a world of chastity, it is a world of risky (physically, legally, emotionally) hook-ups at rest stops or public parks. Yes, I've used it to trick out on more than one occasion, but I also found a weekly lunch partner in the office building next door when I moved to a new city and started a new job. I can't quite pinpoint why, but I actually find Grindr rather sweet and innocent as compared to craigslist, manhunt, etc. Maybe it's because the apple terms of service won't permit any nudity in the main pic and because you only get a short space to write your blurb. In any event, I love it.