Swipe Right Or Left; The Connection Between Online Dating & Your Mental Health

Online Relationships Are Not Always Built To Last

Individuals who do manage to find someone they want to marry face an uphill battle, as research conducted by Michigan State University found relationships that start out online are twenty-eight percent more likely to break down in the first year compared to couples who met face-to-face. The same study also discovered couples who met online had a three times divorce rate compared to couples who met in a more organic social setting. However, there is a glimmer of hope amongst these statistics. Around five percent of Americans who are currently married or in a committed relationship met their significant other online.

Dating apps can also have surprising side effects on relationships in general; it can encourage users not to put any effort into current relationships as they may feel there is someone better awaiting them on the next swipe. The problem with this notion is this type of attitude can create a sense of unhappiness for an individual in their current relationships, similar to the kind of disposable human culture the online dating world is creating, as previously mentioned. Experts collectively agree it isn’t the app itself causing these issues, but rather how the app is used. In order to avoid these adverse psychological and emotional effects, users need to change how they engage with the app and others online.

To put it simply, be more mindful and use common sense when dating, and know that even if things don’t work out, the right one is out there for you—just be patient and don’t lose hope!