For Lewis, hook-up apps such as Grindr offered a way to explore gay culture that had been missing in his upbringing in rural Dumfriesshire.
At first, he loved the excitement of casual sexual encounters being available at the swipe of a phone but soon it became addictive.
"You get the validation, that dopamine hit when people message you and hit you up, it is enjoyable but that is the problem," he says.
Lewis says it started to damage his self-esteem and he found himself chasing validation - equating his worth with his body.
He says low moods led him back to the app's loop of quick sexual encounters that often left him feeling "dirty and gross", fuelling his anxiety and depression.
