Advantages and disadvantages of online dating apps

Mobile apps have become a big part of the dating scene among young people. Apps like Tinder, Bumble, Happn, Hinge are mostly based on posting your own pictures and a brief description of yourself on a profile. After that, other users can indicate whether they like your profile or not. When two users indicate that they like each other, they can start communicating. 

Some research shows that a large number of rejections occur in such applications. As many as 50% of those rejected are men. However, research also shows that between 2005 and 2012 one third of couples in America met online. Some research also shows that couples who met online were less likely to break up than couples who did not meet online. 

Related to this, regardless of whether you already have a profile on a dating app or are considering creating it, we bring you a list of advantages and disadvantages of the described apps.

 Advantages of online dating apps:

  • YOU ARE SHY – if you are shy by nature and do not feel comfortable talking to new people, you do not like to go to places where you do not know a lot of people, it may be easier for you to start communication in writing 
  • YOU HAVE DIFFICULTIES EXPRESSING YOURSELF IN PERSON – you think you do not always represent yourself well when talking to someone in person, when you like someone you find it hard to find words in a conversation with that person, written communication gives you time to think about what you really want to say and express yourself better 
  • YOU DO NOT GO OUT OFTEN – you do not have a lot of opportunities to meet new people, so apps allow you to do that 
  • YOU CAN DECIDE WHEN AND IF YOU MEET – before you meet someone in person, you can get to know them well online, thus you meet that person when you are (and if) ready for it 
  • YOU LIKE TO MEET NEW PEOPLE – you can meet different people from all over the world and it is totally OK to just be friends with them! 
  • REJECTION IS LESS PAINFUL – as we noted above, rejection is common in the world of online dating – mostly because it is easier to reject someone online than live. While rejection is always painful, it is a little easier when someone does it online before you have strongly (or even!) connected. On the other hand, when you achieve a strong connection and intimacy with someone, online rejection is much more unacceptable and harder to deal with.

Disadvantages of online dating apps:

  • QUESTIONABLE SECURITY – one should be careful when disclosing information about oneself, the Internet is not always a safe place. If you decide to meet someone you have met online, it is best to tell a friend / family member that you are with that person so that someone else can be informed about where you are and whom you are with in case something goes wrong and if it turns out that the person you are meeting is not the same person you communicated with online. It is also good to be in a public place where there are people so that you can ask for help from passers-by in case something happens. 
  • QUESTIONABLE TRUTHFULNESS – you can hardly check if the information someone gave you online is true. Therefore, for example, you cannot know based on a picture or a description on a profile if it is really the person you were corresponding with. It is easier for people to lie online because it is difficult to verify the information someone provides and because people are “protected” by not communicating in person. 
  • BE YOURSELF AND HONEST – since a lot of people use online apps, people want to stand out as much as possible and exaggerate (or lie) about their virtues, appearance, successes, etc. However, in order to meet people you will like or a partner who will love you for who you are, then it is best to be honest. Try to be as authentic as possible and be yourself in order to attract people who like you for who you are.

 

AUTHOR: Mia Krpan, dipl.psych.