A survey conducted by eHarmony in 2020 “predicted that by 2040, 70% of relationships will begin online.” In a paper published on this survey, Nicol Holtzhausen, a researcher at Western Sydney University, made the claim that, in the future, society will heavily depend on dating applications because people who are genuinely searching for a potential romantic partner want someone that matches their values and expectations. People use dating apps with different goals, meaning there are a variety of reasons why dating apps appeal to users, despite the heavy criticism they face.
Researchers disclosed that dating app users “ were found to have significantly higher rates of psychological distress, anxiety, and depression, but were not found to have significantly lower self-esteem.” Based on personality types, introverts prefer to regain energy by spending time by themselves, in contrast to extroverts who prefer to regain energy by spending time with others. Researchers from Stanford Medicine stated online dating was an ineffective coping mechanism when it came to individuals suffering from mental illness. They continued to draw parallels between dating apps and social media, arguing that both platforms can contribute to similar feelings of depression and anxiety.
Despite this, it appears that in general, survey users have a higher level of self-esteem. Interpretation of the data proves that a younger age demographic might have a strong sense of themselves as individuals, as well as the idea that they are more aware of their values in terms of searching for a long-term romantic partner. This result may look different depending on the person’s comfort level in meeting someone online in comparison to an in-person interaction. For example, people who generally have a lower level of self-esteem and a sense of themselves may be more likely to search for a romantic relationship through online dating because they are more sensitive to meeting people in person and prefer online interactions first. However, people with higher levels of self-esteem often feel more comfortable and confident in real life, making them more willing to approach a potential partner in person than somebody with lower self-esteem. In an age of loneliness and technological isolation, dating apps may end up making those trends worse in their attempt to bridge people together.
Dating apps can also help increase self-confidence because they minimize the fear of rejection for introverted people, making dating less intimidating and comfortable— this helps people get out of their comfort zone and make connections they wouldn’t otherwise. A profile can be carefully crafted and edited serving as a powerful tool in self-presentation. Dating platforms provide a shield of anonymity, allowing users to selectively choose what to reveal about their personality and to create a better version of themselves online, and not worry about being judged for it. Although this may lead to false presentations or “catfishing,” being able to display the best parts of yourself to others can be very beneficial to self-confidence. This also offers users a unique way to control the way they are perceived by others which becomes extremely useful when it comes to finding your ideal person.
This also ties into another appealing aspect of dating apps, namely its efficiency when relaying personal information. Users learn a significant amount of information in just a few minutes of reading their profile. Dating app efficiency especially appeals to the young adolescent demographic because they want to keep up in a rigorous and fast-paced environment, balancing education, relationships, and occupations, and online dating helps them to do so. Dating apps are available to the majority of society who own mobile phones, allowing users to quickly make connections with people, without having to go out of their way or break their routine.
According to Holtzhausen et al., “More than one-third of people (38%) are more open to dating someone who is not their physical type and 28% are less concerned with dating someone that matches the expectations of others. Additionally, 63% are more concerned with emotional maturity than physical looks”(1). Online dating apps provide people with the opportunity to look through diverse options, disregarding physical appearance to find exactly what they are looking for, especially because dating apps allow people to meet others they would never encounter in their day-to-day life. In one’s attempt to find a romantic relationship, they may discover their ideal partner may be the complete opposite of what they were looking for, leading to unexpected attraction. Having a variety of dating app options also allows users to have access to downloading or looking into various applications they find more appealing for their interests, making dating feel more tailored to the individual. For example, there are dating apps tailored to different age groups, types of relationships, sexual orientations, and even religions.
Due to the extensive algorithms and consumption of information from their users, it is hard to predict if individuals will discover meaningful relationships that were initially found through a screen, especially because dating app satisfaction stems primarily from people’s motivations for using the apps. Whether someone wants something long-term or not, dating apps are available for all to use. This may make it hard to filter and find what you’re really looking for, but overall, dating apps are appealing because they allow people to connect with others while keeping up a busy routine, they give people the confidence to make connections that might intimidate them face-to-face, and allow people to tailor their app choices to the things they want or keep a more open mind when exploring more diverse options. As with all forms of modern technology, dating apps present a complicated, nuanced list of pros and cons, and it is up to users to decide what works for them and what doesn’t.
This article was collaboratively produced by Ellie Noti, Ryan Desnick, Antonia Kladias, Vera Then, and Kaitlyn Ip.