Dating apps and anxiety: study finds differences depending on the type of app

Tinder, Hinge or Grindr: which dating apps men use may be linked to their mental wellbeing. That is the suggestion of a Flinders University study in Adelaide, published in the journal Psychology & Sexuality and presented by the university in mid-October. Under the title “Designed to be deleted”, Zac Bowman, Murray Drummond, Ivanka Prichard and Jasmine M. Petersen surveyed 578 men in Australia aged 18 to 69, with an average age of 34. Age differences were controlled for.

Gay, bisexual and other sexual minority men who used only one type of app, as well as heterosexual men who used both mainstream and gay apps, reported significantly higher anxiety than all other groups. For gay men, by contrast, combining mainstream and gay-only apps may be linked to lower anxiety – possibly, the researchers say, because more platforms make it likelier to find what they are looking for. According to the release, gay apps such as Grindr or Scruff are seen as spaces for casual sex where appearance dominates, Tinder and Hinge more as apps for dating and relationships. “There are several fundamental differences between gay and mainstream dating apps …”, said lead author Bowman, pointing to the interface, image-sharing and the potential for non-consensual messaging.

The results are based on a survey and show associations, not causes; only men in Australia were surveyed. No funding is listed in the release. The researchers see a role for app providers: the findings could lead to developers “reducing the emphasis on physical appearance and sexual objectification”. According to the release, Grindr alone has around 15 million users.