Changing Geographies of Intimacy: A Study on FemaleTinder Users in İstanbul

This study discusses the changing geographies of intimacy by focusing on the experiences of female Tinder users in Istanbul. Within the scope of the study, in-depth interviews were conducted with 28women in Istanbul. Based on these interviews, the flows of how women use Tinder have been createdand the locations in which the app is used have been identified. The study revealed that women usethis mobile application secretly and they do not actively use it in the neighborhoods where they liveand work. The way women look for relationships varies considerably and they choose among varying types of relationships. Tinder allows women to rapidly expand their pool of potential partners andeliminate other intermediaries and their social supervision in building relationships. These facts indicate that the geographies of intimacy and the gender relationships within these geographies havestarted to change for some women.