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In this photo illustration taken on October 6, 2020, a user reviews the Tinder dating app on a mobile phone in Islamabad. (AFP)
GENEVA – Contrary to warnings that dating apps encourage short-lived, superficial flings about true romance, a Swiss study on Wednesday showed that app users were more likely to seek long-term relationships.
Mobile apps have revolutionized the way people meet around the world and are fast becoming the number one way to pair up in many countries.
Unlike traditional dating sites, which require detailed user profiles, smartphone apps like Tinder and Grindr rely heavily on photo rating with a swipe review system.
This has raised fears about the impact on the way we interact, fall in love, and create lasting connections.
But a study conducted at the University of Geneva (UNIG), and published in the journal PLOS ONE, indicates that couples formed by apps actually have stronger “cohabitation intentions” than couples who meet offline.
“Much of the media claims that they have a negative impact on the quality of relationships, as they disable people to invest in an exclusive or long-term relationship,” said the author of the report, Gina Potarca, researcher at UNIG Institute of Demography and Socioeconomics, it said in a statement.
“So far, however, there has been no evidence to show that this is the case.”
Potarca used a 2018 family survey conducted by the Swiss Federal Statistical Office, looking at responses from more than 3,000 people who were in a relationship and had met their partner in the past decade.
Their analysis showed that couples who met through an app were more motivated by the idea of living together than others.
“The study does not say whether their ultimate intention was to live together long term or short term,” he said, adding that since the expressed desire to marry remained high across the board, “some of these couples are likely to see cohabitation.” . as a trial period before marriage. “
The study also found that couples formed through dating apps expressed stronger wishes and intentions for children than others.
Meanwhile, couples who met through dating apps also expressed the same level of satisfaction about their relationships as those who met their partners through more traditional means.
Potarca said the findings were especially encouraging at a time when the coronavirus pandemic continues to put traditional dating out of reach for many.
“Knowing that dating apps have likely become even more popular during this year’s shutdown and social distancing periods, it is comforting to dismiss alarming concerns about the long-term effects of using these tools,” he said.
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