Couples

In a poll taken by GQ Magazine called "The Modern Lovers Survey", researchers found that 70 percent of men surveyed have lied on dating apps to make themselves appear more attractive to potential matches.

According to the study, respondents admitted to misrepresenting themselves when it came to career, age, height, or appearance, or some combination of those, to get more matches. The study found that 36 percent of respondents had misrepresented themselves in their photos, and 35 percent had lied about their age. The study also found that 28 percent had lied about their careers and 27 percent about their height.

In fact, GQ also found that as many as 21 percent of the men they surveyed were lying about their marital status. These respondents admitted that they were already in monogamous relationships and still using dating apps. And 29 percent of the men surveyed admitted they had kept a former love interest’s nude photos after a breakup, compared with only 8 percent of women who said they did the same.

Meta announced it will be shutting down Tuned, its app designed for couples, in mid-September. As of the end of July, it is no longer allowing new users to sign up for the service.

Tuned was launched in April 2020 when Covid lockdowns were taking place around the world. It was positioned as a dating app to help couples better communicate by giving them a platform to exchange notes, photos, voice messages and videos, as well as share music via a Spotify integration. Tuned also let users set their moods and supplied a “check-in” feature with prompts so they could have a starting point to talk about their feelings.

Unfortunately, it didn’t seem to connect with couples. Tech Crunch pointed out that the platform was removed from Facebook Dating and other Meta platforms, which could have impacted its success.

A new study found that dating app users experienced higher rates of depression and hypersexuality, or sex addiction. Researchers said it could point to those who already struggle with mental health issues using dating apps as a coping mechanism.

According to Psy Post, researcher and author Giacomo Ciocca, an assistant professor at Sapienza, University of Rome, explored these two mental health challenges as they relate to dating apps, to see if there was a correlation. “Much evidence shows that the formation of couple relationships is often related to the use of dating apps. Also, sexual behavior is mediated by the use of these technological tools. Therefore, psychological research is called to study this contemporary phenomenon,” he said in the paper.

The research team surveyed 1,000 Italians between ages 18 and 60 via an online questionnaire. Participants answered questions about “relationship status, sexual orientation, contraceptive use, and whether they were currently in a stable or casual sexual relationship,” according to Psy Post. They were also asked whether they used dating apps.

Emma Hernan, one of the stars of reality show Selling Sunset, created an Internet frenzy when she revealed in a new episode that she and Ben Affleck matched on dating app Raya.

She told fellow reality star Chrishell Stause in the episode that the actor “may or may not have asked to grab coffee a few times” as they were messaging over the app. She also noted that he initiated conversation by bringing up their shared background of growing up in Boston. Stause replied that Hernan could have “foiled Bennifer,” and Hernan agreed that “maybe that wouldn’t have happened” if she had followed through and kept messaging him, according to E! News.

Affleck is now engaged to actress Jennifer Lopez, which caused fans to speculate on the timing and whether or not he cheated on Lopez if he was still texting with Hernan. The rumors grew when Lopez posted a photo on Instagram wearing a short red dress and boots stating that she was going out for a “girl’s night.”

Image: Hello Sunshine

Dating app Bumble has partnered with Reese Witherspoon’s production company Hello Sunshine and Baileys Irish Cream Liqueur to produce three short films on romances inspired by real-life Bumble users.

According to Deadline, the film series is currently branded as “Meet Cute” vignettes, featuring three female and non-binary filmmakers. Bumble and Hello Sunshine are both platforms that elevate women and LGBTQ+ voices.

The filmmakers - Carly Usdin, Sadé Clacken Joseph, and Haroula Rose – will all be taking these real-life stories and retelling them in their own unique voices.

Dating app Match is beta testing some new features geared towards those interested in more “emotionally mature” relationships, an indication that the longstanding dating platform aims to cater to more serious daters.

According to Tech Crunch, the features are centered around two big frustrations with daters in their thirties who are ready to settle down: how long it takes to find a good match, and how pervasive the problem of ghosting has become. One feature called “Matched By Us” provides recommendations like a matchmaking service based on more in-depth questions the users are prompted to answer. The company is also testing an anti-ghosting feature that pushes users to continue a conversation or unmatch with that person, so that they aren’t left wondering what happened. 

Matched By Us presents one free match every week (available for both subscribers and non-paying members), where the couple can start up a conversation immediately without waiting for mutual likes. The matches are made through an algorithm that examines answers to questions posed to users, like their five-year plans or whether they are open to relocating for a relationship.