Examine the associations between smartphone hookup application uses and sexual health and relationship outcomes among college students

Abstract

Objective: Hookup apps, such as Tinder, have become vastly popular among college students, and hookup culture has become more normatively acceptable. The current study seeks to understand the associations of hookup app uses and outcome variables including sexual attitudes, relationship turbulences, and risky sexual behaviors. Participants and Methods: The current study conducted an online cross-sectional survey among participants (n = 654) from a large public university. Results: The results showed that hookup app users reported significantly more favorable attitudes toward sexual permissiveness and instrumentality, less favorable attitudes toward birth control, more relationship anxiety, and more relationship avoidance, compared to nonusers. Furthermore, structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed that more hookup app uses were associated with more favorable attitudes toward sexual permissiveness and instrumentality, more risky sex, and higher relationship turbulence. Conclusion: The practical implications and suggestions for future research were discussed.