Riding the edge : how young adults deliberate risks for casual encounters in Hong Kong

Abstract

A growing academic interest is being paid attention to online dating applications and its implications in the social world. While existing studies have focused on the rise of interpersonal crimes, and sexually transmitted infections positively correlating with the popularity of dating apps, there has been a lack of attention paid to how individuals make sense of the risks involved in this activity. This study investigates the gender scripts that affects one’s viewpoint of risks, and subsequently their approach to safety prevention when negotiating casual encounters Through the context of Stephen Lyng’s theory of edgework, we also explored the gender motivations to voluntarily undertake these activities with the risk of physical and emotionally trauma. To gain a better understanding of this growing phenomenon, interviews were conducted with 10 young adults in Hong Kong, questioning their personal experiences on online dating applications regarding safety measures, and past victimization. As expected, the studies supports the findings that men and women mostly provided different reasoning to approach safety precautions when negotiating casual encounters, and exercised different safety measures, not only based on their past experiences, but also shaped by their culturally ascribed gender scripts. It can be suggested that these men and women partake in edgework, risky endeavours that are controlled by one’s skill to regulate emotional and physical risks. The rewards of this activity is the ability to reinforce one’s existing culturally-appropriated genders scripts, or to redefine it.