The proliferation of dating apps and sites were aimed at making our love lives a little bit easier. In smaller communities, such as the gay and lesbian communities, these apps could be seen as a god send in finding people to connect with. However, it seem these dating apps might be having a negative effect on the people using them, especially the gay population. The gay population found online dating easier, as you already knew the sexual orientation of those you were talking to.
A new study in Psychology & Sexuality looked into the positive and negative aspects of gay dating apps. They took 191 bisexual and gay men to explore their motivations for using these apps and the outcomes of using the apps.
The research found that the men used the dating apps quite frequently, 71.2% of which were logging in at least once a day. Just under half of the participants indicated they primary used the app to have sex, only 18.9% said they were trying to find someone to date.
Those that used the app to find sex rather than someone to date had higher levels of self-esteem, loneliness, and and life satisfaction compared to those looking for someone to date.
So it seems, the negative effects of dating apps really relies on what the user is trying to achieve through the app. If they are wanting a relationship, then they might have an overall negative experience and it may lead to a more negative feelings in terms of self-esteem, loneliness, and and life satisfaction.
Read More here: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/inclusive-insight/201912/are-dating-apps-making-gay-men-miserable
