New Study Shows Dating Apps are Being Used for More Than Dating

The way dating apps are being used is changing, with more people looking for validation, friendship, and online connection rather than dates.

According to a new study by Stanford Medicine, dating apps are now showing similarities to social media platforms: using them for distraction and entertainment as well as searching for love. Among the 1,387 Tinder users (aged 17 to 84) surveyed for the study, half said they weren’t interested in meeting someone from a dating app offline, and nearly two-thirds were already married or described themselves as “in a relationship.”  

Because of the changing motivations, people’s experiences on dating apps vary widely, according to the researchers, and have “a strong influence on their satisfaction with the app,” according to Scope, published by Stanford Medicine.

Elias Aboujaoude, MD, clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and an author of the study, told Scope: “The surprising part is that a big percentage, about half, were not going online to find dates. It becomes an interesting question as to why someone would spend all this time on a dating app if they're not interested in finding a date."

Researchers also compared overall satisfaction of Tinder users, developing an AI-based model to measure different factors. Respondents who had the greatest level of satisfaction with the app said they used the app for its intended purpose – to find romantic matches and people to socialize with – and who also got a greater number of matches.

Those who experienced the most dissatisfaction with the app used Tinder for coping with negative emotions, including those with impulsive behavior, depression, and “avoidant attachment style” or those who were more guarded in relationships.

"You need to work on the unhealthy coping mechanism, but you also need to address what it is that you're trying to cope with," Aboujaoude told Scope, referring to how respondents were turning to dating apps to alleviate these feelings, rather than facing them head-on. "If it turns out there's an actual mental health condition, be it depression, ADHD, anxiety or something else, we don't want that to go undiagnosed. There are established treatments that can be very effective for those conditions."

A comprehensive Tinder study earlier this year found that Gen Z daters tended to prioritize their mental health, including communicating their wellness practices with their matches. The majority of younger singles were looking for more authenticity in the dating process, and preferred matches who went to therapy, set explicit boundaries, or took care of their mental health. Seventy-five percent said they found their partner more attractive if they prioritized mental well-being.

The study was published June 23rd in Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking.