Abstract
Within the span of almost ten years, phone dating apps have transformed the dating scene by normalizing and, according to some voices, gamifying the digital quest for a partner. Despite amplified discussion on how swipe-based apps damage the fabric of intimate ties, scientific accounts on whether they have led to different relationship patterns are missing. Using 2018 survey data from Switzerland, this study provides a rich overview of couples who met through dating apps by addressing three main themes: 1) family formation intentions, 2) relationship satisfaction and individual well-being, and 3) assortative mating. The data indicate that in Switzerland, dating apps have recently taken over as main online dating context. Results further show that couples formed through mobile dating have stronger cohabiting intentions than those formed in non-digital settings. Women who found their partner through a dating app also have stronger fertility desires and intentions than those who found their partner offline. Generally, there are no differences between couples initiated through dating apps and those initiated elsewhere regarding relationship and life satisfaction. Though more data are needed to capture the full range of users’ romantic and sexual experiences, current results mitigate some of the concerns regarding the short-term orientation or the poor quality of relationships formed through mobile dating. Findings finally suggest that dating apps play an important role in altering couple composition by allowing for more educationally diverse and geographically distant couples.
Highlights
Swiping right as the act of swiftly expressing preferences is deeply ingrained in everyday language and cultural practice [1, 2]
The paper centers around three main questions: 1) Are individuals in relationships formed through swipe-based apps less interested in family formation: do they have lower intentions to form long-terms unions, and are they less interested or intent on becoming parents? 2) Are unions initiated through phone apps less satisfying, and are they associated with lower levels of subjective well-being? And 3) are they more exogamous in terms of education, origin, geographical location, or age? By addressing several partnership themes, this study provides a rich descriptive account of couples who met through swipe-based apps
Using nationally representative survey data from Switzerland, this study provided a rich overview of the demographic characteristics and union patterns of couples who met through dating apps in comparison to those who met offline or through other online contexts of partner selection
Summary
Swiping right as the act of swiftly expressing preferences is deeply ingrained in everyday language and cultural practice [1, 2]. The concept of swiping originates in the gesture that users of Tinder, Grindr or other phone dating applications based on geolocation matching need to engage in to register their (dis)like of a potential partner. Two individuals are matched and allowed to initiate communication on the app when they both swipe right on each other. Dating websites or platforms (e.g., Match.com, OKCupid), have been popular since the mid90s. They allowed their subscribers, after having filled in lengthy information about themselves and their preferences, to browse and get in contact with prospective mates, based on search.
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