DIGITAL DESIRE IN CONSERVATIVE PAKISTAN: A USES AND GRATIFICATIONS STUDY OF DATING APPS

Abstract

This study examines the uses and gratifications associated with mobile dating applications in Pakistan, a society where such practices intersect with deeply rooted patriarchal and conservative norms. Drawing on the Mobile Dating App Gratification Scale (Welch & Morgan, 2018), the research investigates four primary gratifications: Validation, Relationships, Hook-Ups, and Entertainment. Given the sensitive and stigmatized nature of dating app use, data were collected through snowball sampling, resulting in 62 responses from users across multiple urban centers. Quantitative findings, contextualized through a qualitative synthesis of existing literature, reveal that relationship-seeking and entertainment are the dominant motivations, while hook-ups and validation are less prominent. These results challenge the common perception of dating apps as primarily facilitating casual encounters, highlighting instead the complex negotiation between personal gratification and socio-cultural constraints. The study underscores the evolving role of digital technologies in shaping relationship dynamics in conservative contexts and recommends further exploration through mixed method approaches with larger and more diverse samples to assess how gratifications are pursued and achieved.