Despite the fact that dating apps are incredibly common, we’re still intrigued by them and what they say about us. A new study shows that dating app users are more likely to experience a variety of afflictions, among them depression and hypersexuality.
The study, published in the journal Sexes, suggests that some people are using dating apps to cope with a mental health condition.
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Researchers thought that depression and hypersexuality would lend themselves to dating app users. After conducting the study, they discovered that their theory was pretty sound. “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,” said Giacomo Ciocca, the study’s author.
The study was conducted in Italy, with researchers gathering the responses from 1,000 people through an online platform. Participants were between the ages of 18-60 and had no diagnosed severe mental health conditions. They answered questions about their lives and sex lives, declaring the status of their relationship, sexual orientation, and whether or not they used dating apps. They also completed tests that tested for depression and hypersexual behaviors.
Of the 12% of respondents who said they used dating apps, researchers found that these people were more likely to casually date and had higher scores of hypersexuality when compared to those who didn’t use dating apps. They also had higher scores of depression, showing more mid to severe symptoms than people who didn’t use dating apps.
“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,” said Ciocca to Psypost.
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While the results are interesting, they’re not all that surprising. People on dating apps are likely to be younger and more likely to seek romantic and sexual connections than those who aren’t on these apps or are involved in relationships. Dating app users are also active online and are subject to the pressures of social media, which are known to take a toll on mental health.
