Statistics

Image: OkCupid

Dating app OkCupid recently surveyed its users to assess the state of dating around the world in 2022. The company found that users are increasingly interested in discussing mental health and inflation concerns with potential dates.

Nearly all 1.6 million respondents from around the world said that mental health was as important as physical health, a noticeable shift in what daters are willing to talk about as they are getting to know each other. In fact, there was an 18 percent increase in people mentioning “mental health” and “therapy” on OkCupid profiles compared to last year. Part of the reason according to OkCupid is that Gen Z is driving these conversations and are a growing demographic. Discussions about mental health have also increased in the wake of the pandemic.

One of the most-asked questions on the platform is “are you sensitive?” and more than 90 percent of singles surveyed said they are (51 percent said sometimes, and 42 percent said all of the time). The company noted that admitting this seems to garner more attention and better response, especially for men.

Match’s annual Singles in America study found that one in five singles are hesitant to have sex in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade, which protected abortion rights for women across the country. Singles are also changing their habits due to the rising costs associated with dating.

Match found that four out of every five respondents have adjusted their behavior as a result of the Supreme Court’s ruling, including increasing their use of condoms and having a greater fear of getting pregnant.

The survey found that seven in ten singles still maintain that sex is a good thing and improves their mental health, and 71 percent feel better after having sex. Still, they are more hesitant to have sex because of the Supreme Court decision. Many states are enacting legislation to either restrict or ban abortions altogether, placing more of a burden on single women who are of child-bearing age to seek medical care.

A new study by Dating.com found that while meeting people through online dating is at an all-time high, people are concerned about the cost of dating in real life.

The company reported that 52 percent of respondents said they are content to hold off scheduling dates to prevent themselves from spending money on clothing, gas, and transportation, let alone the costs of the date like buying drinks, food or an admission ticket to a museum or concert.

"The increase in prices of food, gas, clothing and many other products and services has left singles rethinking their usual dating habits and patterns as they make an effort to save money," Maria Sullivan, Dating Expert and Vice President of Dating.com, said in a press release.

A new survey from dating app Hinge found that young Gen Z daters are no longer interested in hookup culture, thanks to the isolation they felt from the pandemic.

Forty-five percent of Gen Z daters surveyed felt that they had changed their dating habits for the better since the pandemic began - and are only interested in relationships that would be “additive” to their lives, according to a report from New York Post.

In addition, 39 percent of those surveyed said they were pickier about who they dated since the pandemic, and 91 percent of these respondents said this was because they didn’t want to waste time on the wrong person.

Hinge is giving some love to single Moms this Valentine’s Day, offering $100 in childcare stipends so that they can make plans for a date.

According to the company’s press release, the popular dating app kicked off the campaign on Friday, February 4th ahead of Valentine’s Day. Users who have selected “Have Children” in their profiles will receive an opt-in notification at that time. To be eligible to receive the gift, those who opt in must also comment on someone’s profile that same day. The gift cards will be sent via email to each selected parent, according to the release.

The campaign is in partnership with French singer-songwriter Soko, who is also a single parent. Soko wanted to focus especially on the LGBTQ+ community and encourage discussions on “how to prioritize responsibilities as a parent while also making time to find someone special,” according to the release.

Dating app Bumble said that it is actively campaigning to make cyberflashing illegal in England and Wales, as it continues to fight for policies to protect women on dating apps.

The term cyberflashing is used when someone (typically a woman) receives an unsolicited explicit photo via a messaging app or Airdrop. According to a study by YouGov in the UK, 41 percent of women aged 18 to 36 have been sent an “unsolicited photo of a man’s private parts.” This is illegal in many places, but not currently in England or Wales. 

In its own research, Bumble found that 48 percent of women ages 18 to 24 had received an unsolicited and explicit photo just in the last year, with 25 percent saying they felt violated because of it. A majority of almost 60 percent said they felt less trusting of others they interacted with online after the experience, and one quarter said that this occurrence has increased over the course of the pandemic, according to Mashable.