Kara Alaimo is an associate professor of communications at Fairleigh Dickinson University. Her book “Influence: Why Social Media is toxic to women and girls, and how we can get it back was published in 2024 by Alcove Press.
According to a survey published this week in the Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical Science, teenagers use dating apps more than they previously knew. The survey found that 23.5% of teens aged 13 to 18 have used dating apps for six months. This exceeds past estimates.
The study, according to researchers, is thought to be the first to track how teens use dating apps by recording keyboard activity rather than relying on self-report.
The study found that teens who used dating apps generally suffer less symptoms of mental health challenges than those who did not after 6 months. However, those who used dating apps were more likely to have frequent symptoms of major depressive disorder.
“The study showed some support for dating app users who have high depressive symptoms and are highly involved in risky behavior,” said Lillian Lee, a postdoctoral researcher at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago and a lead author of the study.
Li said it is unclear whether that was due to dating app users being harmed by the app, such as through harassment or dangerous behavior.
Li warned that the investigation was small. The US includes 149 teenagers, of which 35 used dating apps. Also, since we only tracked keyboard entries, we were unable to measure hiding, preferences, or disliked profiles.
There is still reason why parents are worried, as dating apps can also hurt their kids in other ways. That’s why when I talk to parents and students about how to handle children’s app usage, I suggest that teenagers don’t use online dating platforms at all.
One reason why teens don’t belong to dating apps is because they’re dangerous. Researchers warn that registered sex offenders are free to use online dating sites.
In particular, online dating increases the risk that teens are catfished and manipulated into emotional relationships with someone using their supposed identity. It creates an opportunity for others to convince their teens to share intimate images.
According to the UCLA Center for Adolescent, these risks put dating apps at risk for adults, but because teenage brains are wired to accept greater risks in their pursuit of reward.
That’s why new research didn’t find that teenagers who engaged in other dangerous behaviours, such as substance use and breaking rules, are more likely to use dating apps.
Teens can’t expect the person they think are new boyfriends or girlfriends to think they are actually adult cybercriminals. Teens cannot expect to consider potential consequences if they decide to meet people they are connected online in person.
“Mid-agers are not allowed on our dating app. It’s a complete suspension,” said a spokesman for Match Group, which owns Tinder, the most commonly used dating app among research teens. “Our platform is aimed at adults over 18 years old and deploys industry-leading technology and human surveillance to keep minor users. Our brands deploy sophisticated safety tools such as AI-powered age verification, identity verification, device blocking, and human moderators that actively detect and remove minors and bad actors.
“We have worked with long-standing partners such as Thorne to strengthen safety measures, and this year we have supported the creation of Roost, a nonprofit organization focused on building scalable tools for child safety. We continue to invest in cutting-edge tools, technologies and partnerships that will help ensure safety for the communities our platform serves.”
The spokesman also noted that match groups provide safety tools for users to perform background checks, and that statistics from the new research include social discovery apps that are different from dating apps.
The problem is that dating apps are not only dangerous, but they are possible. They can also send incorrect signals to young people about relationships.
If you want to establish and maintain a direct relationship with someone, you generally need to learn how to have two-way conversations, show others considerations and resolve disagreements that may come up.
These are all skills that teens need to practice and will help them in many aspects of their lives. They will not only help young people deal with people like future professors and employers, but will probably make them happy in the long run.
Harvard researchers have discovered that it is one of the longest adult studies ever conducted by Harvard researchers are important to our health, and our close relationship is even more important to our well-being.
In an interview in my book, people said they feel that dating app users don’t invest much in their relationship with “match.” This is because the app conveys the impression that there is always someone who can swipe. “If someone confused you for the smallest reason, you can go to a dating app and find someone else,” one woman told me.
So, rather than learning to refine skills to maintain offline relationships, teens are learning to be able to move away from dating apps so that romantic partners feel easy to get.
To start a conversation about these concerns, parents need to check in with teens to see if they are using or using a dating app. If teens say yes, it’s an opportunity to think about how they can meet their needs in other ways.
For example, if teens are lonely or want to find a romantic partner, one of the best things we can do is for them to come together in person with their peers. They can even connect with friends and potential romantic partners who share similar interests by signing up for extracurricular activities. It is also an important way to help teens feel that they are important. This is one of the best ways to promote happiness.
A new study found that dating apps could give teenagers, who are sexual and gender minorities in their communities, a way to create valuable social connections. But it would be even better for parents to explore how such teens can make connections between them by meeting the type of people they want to meet.
Some teens may also want to use dating apps as some platforms suggest that there are algorithms that can match people with soulmates, or at least compatible romantic partners. However, decades of research have shown that this is not possible. This is because it turns out that people’s personality traits don’t actually predict whether they’ll work out as a couple.
Still, a 2023 Pew Research Center survey found that 30% of Americans use a dating app or site at some point, so they may find ways to get around the rules for teens using it now or in the future. So, if you use it at any point in your life, you should talk to teens about how to keep your dating app safe.
It is recommended to video chat with people before meeting in person.
Parents believe that their children will never use dating apps or meet strangers they only know online. However, this new study suggests that teens use these apps, so it’s best to prepare because they use more apps than parents notice.
Whether teens are breaking your rules or getting into trouble online, they miss learning to establish healthy relationships directly. So parents need to talk to teens about these concerns now, helping them to start their dating life on the right track rather than simply swiping correctly.
