‘I didn’t think you were going to sound like that’: Sensory Geographies of Grindr Encounters in Public Spaces in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK

Abstract

This chapter engages with visceral geographies of sense and sound to understand how men who use Grindr make sense of each other when they meet in public spaces in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK. I argue that as Grindr does not enable the sounds of voices to be heard, users build up multiple expectations of other Grindr users and encounters. These expectations are often particular to the places that they meet in. When these expectations are not met, desires are reshaped. I draw upon research conducted in 2015 with 30 men who use Grindr in Newcastle. I explore the sonic experiences when Grindr users meet on the street, in bars, and in cafés in Newcastle city centre. I highlight how encounters that are formed in digital spaces create different experiences of urban spaces. I contribute to understandings of the ways digital screens have the capacity---in different working arrangements---to reconfigure how bodies, gender, and sexuality are made meaningful.