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Are dating apps just for casual hookups, flings, and one-night stands? Not quite, according to new research . People who met their partners on dating apps tend to have stronger long-term relationship goals. They settle down more often and are just as satisfied with their relationships as others.
Contrary to the idea that dating apps only encourage short-term flings, dating apps are no less than other ways people meet. Singles on dating apps are indeed looking for something long-term, perhaps even more so than singles who meet in other ways.
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Encouragement of short contacts?
As dating apps grew in popularity, criticism of the apps also grew: they were said to encourage short-term hookups and thus pose a threat to the usual, long-term commitment in relationships. However, there was absolutely no scientific evidence to support these claims. Because in reality, that is not the case at all.
“Many media outlets claim that dating apps have a negative impact on the quality of relationships, as they do not allow people to invest in an exclusive or long-term relationship. But so far, there is no evidence that this is the case,” says Gina Potarca, a researcher at the Swiss University of Geneva (UNIGE). To investigate this claim, she analyzed data from a family study conducted in 2018.
Potarca studied a sample of 3,235 adults who were in a relationship and had met their partner in the past 10 years. She found that couples who met via an app were more motivated to live together than other couples. They were more likely to move in together and start a family, compared to lovers who met in a non-digital way.
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Just as satisfied
The idea that dating apps only lead to flings and flings , and not to true love, turns out to be untrue. In fact, couples who met via apps are just as satisfied with the quality of their relationship as those who met in other circumstances, the researcher confirms. Despite fears of a deterioration in relationship quality, partners who met on a dating app are just as satisfied with their relationship as others.
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A stronger desire to have children
The women who found their partner via a dating app also have a stronger desire to have children than women who found their partner offline. These women more often indicated that they wanted a child in the near future and that they were planning to do so. This was more common in app romances than in relationships that arose from other ways of meeting.
And finally, the research also shows that the apps play an important role in the variation in the relationships. Dating apps encourage a mix of different educational levels , especially between highly educated women and low-educated men. Because it is easy to make contact with others who live a bit further away on a dating app, there is also an increase in long-distance relationships.
“Knowing that dating apps have likely become even more popular during periods of lockdown and social distancing over the past year , it is reassuring to allay alarming concerns about the long-term effects of dating apps,” Potarca said.
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