Study Finds Tinder Users Have Lower Self-Esteem Than Non-Users

Swiping could leave you with the love of your life, or crippled confidence. A new survey from the University of North Texas found that singles who used Tinder are more likely to have lower self-esteem and feel unhappy about their looks than people who don’t use dating apps.

“Tinder users reported having lower levels of satisfaction with their faces and bodies and having lower levels of self-worth than the men and women who did not use Tinder,” said Jessica Strübel, PhD, who presented the research at the annual convention of the American Psychological Association.

“We found that being actively involved with Tinder, regardless of the user’s gender, was associated with body dissatisfaction, body shame, body monitoring, internalization of societal expectations of beauty, comparing oneself physically to others, and reliance on media for information on appearance and attractiveness,” she continued.

During the study, 1,044 women and 273 men (mostly undergraduate students) completed questionnaires that asked about their use of Tinder as well as their body image, sociocultural factors, perceived objectification, and psychological well-being. The study found that, over time, Tinder users begin to feel depersonalized and disposable in their social interactions. They also develop heightened awareness (and criticism) of their looks and bodies, and believe there’s always something better around the corner.

The results were consistent regardless of the participant’s gender. Both men and women reported more negative scores on all measures if they used Tinder. But here’s where things get interesting: although we normally expect women to be more affected by societal pressures, it was men on Tinder who suffered from the lowest self-esteem.

The gender imbalance in Tinder’s user base may be to blame. There are more men on Tinder than women, and women are more discerning in their swipes than men. More male users, who are more inclined to say yes, means a higher chance of being rejected by the fewer, more selective female users. As that rejection racks up, so does the emotional effect of experiencing it.

“The men, in essence, are put in a position that women often find themselves in, certainly in the dating scene: They’re now being evaluated and are being determined whether or not somebody is interested in them [based on their looks],” Trent Petrie, co-author of the paper, told TIME. “Men may be more likely to get more swipe-lefts. And that can take a toll, perhaps, on those young men.”

It’s important to remember that the study can’t prove Tinder makes people feel worse about themselves. It may be that people with low self-esteem are more likely to use the app, or it could be another reason entirely. What the study identified is a connection, not necessarily a cause.

Still, Petrie cautions users of any social media platform to recognize that they’re putting themselves out there for potential evaluation. He advises all daters to consider why they’re on the app in the first place, and if their reason is the right one.

“These platforms may not be the best place to get validation that you’re an ok person or you’re attractive,” he says. “Perhaps we want to look a little more inside ourselves, and to our close friends, for that validation.”