If you aren’t familiar with it, Grindr has been the “love it or hate it” hook-up mobile device app for the gay community over the past few years. Just fire up your iPhone and instantaneously find another gay man within 100 feet of you! Instant gratification! From the official Grindr website:

The world’s biggest mobile network of guys

Grindr, which first launched in 2009, has exploded into the largest and most popular all-male location-based social network out there. With more than 4 million guys in 192 countries around the world — and approximately 10,000 more new users downloading the app every day — you’ll always find a new date, buddy, or friend on Grindr.

Grindr is quick, convenient, and discreet. And it’s as anonymous as you want it to be. Grindr is a simple app that uses your mobile device’s location-based services to show you the guys closest to you who are also on Grindr. How much of your info they see is entirely your call.

0 feet away: Our mission for you

Grindr’s different because it’s uncomplicated and meant to help you meet guys while you’re on the go. It’s not your average dating site — you know, the ones that make you sit in front of a faraway computer filling out complex, detailed profiles and answering invasive psychological questions. We’d rather you were zero feet away.

Whether you’re traveling, new in town, or just hanging out at home, Grindr’s the fastest, easiest, and most fun way to connect with the biggest network of nearby guys. And it’s available on not just the iPhone but also the iPad, iPod touch, Android, and BlackBerry.

It’s always amusing for me to see who’s around and to see what guys are looking for. What I’ve seen and experienced with this app is that the instant gratification can be detrimental. A person can get addicted to the ease of finding that “one night stand”. It literally is an online shopping site for gay men: fire it up, go window shopping for whatever you’re in the mood for, click on the profile, say “Hi” and let the games begin!

In all fairness, not all of the interactions are successful. The fickleness of individuals may counter the desires of the desperately seeking individual. After all, attraction goes both ways.

If you know a gay man (single or partnered) and if they have an iPhone, there’s a good chance they will have Grindr installed on their phone. You never know just when they’ll crave that hook-up.

As I mentioned earlier, you either love it or hate it. I’ve made a few good friends using Grindr, but more often I’ve had failures meeting guys on Grindr. As of May, I’m on hiatus from the app. But who knows… I haven’t uninstalled it quite yet… I may just fire up over the next few weeks. I’m currently testing my patience and willpower to stay away from this app. Wish me luck!