Short Film Explores LGBTQ Online Dating
Popular YouTuber Michael Henry has produced a short film that documents the challenges of dating app addiction within the LGBTQ community.
‘Fertilizer’ is a 15-minute production which follows Michael in the time after his long-term boyfriend breaks up with him. After a grieving period, he downloads Scroungr – a “queer chat” app – and begins browsing through profiles.
His usage quickly turns into an addiction as he begins to use the app at all times of day, even when he is in the shower or driving.
Alongside his swiping, Michael runs a blog dedicated to his failing love life. He eventually decides to give up online dating, and the growing success of his blog leads to a magazine feature about how his life changed after being “app-free for six months”.
However, he struggles to find a date in real-life and re-downloads Scroungr. Research from Stanford University found that 65% of same-sex relationships in 2017 began online.
After a series of bad dates, Michael’s mental health deteriorates and he gets to the point where he contemplates taking his own life, before an alert from the app snaps him out of it.
The film has been praised for its honest representation of LGBTQ dating and the way apps have caused singles to constantly seek validation from people they don’t know online.
It was shown at several film festivals, including Lift-Off Global Network, LGBTQ Shorts Film Festival and Taos Pride Film Fest.
Earlier this month, Chappy released a report covering the current state of gay dating. The app found that 93% of respondents consider online dating to be a very important tool for them.
Watch the full film here.
