Tinder blue, mental flu? Exploring the associations between Tinder use and well-being

Abstract

While Tinder (i.e., a popular mobile dating app) has received quite some research attention, its effects on users' well-being have rarely been addressed. The present study investigates the extent to which Tinder users' compulsive use, motives, subjective online success and self-conscious social comparison are associated with their well-being (i.e., joviality, sadness, and anxiety). In total, 296 (39% females; 90% heterosexuals) emerging adults who were currently using Tinder completed an online survey. The results suggest that while using Tinder compulsively and for relationship seeking can increase joviality, they may trigger more negative than positive affect. Moreover, feeling unsuccessful on Tinder and making self-conscious social comparisons were positively associated with sadness and anxiety, and negatively associated with joviality. The results seem to imply that Tinder users need to be aware of their compulsive Tinder use, relationship seeking motive, unsuccessful feeling, and/or self-conscious social comparison tendency on Tinder to better understand the consequences of their Tinder use. Although the current study is based on cross-sectional data, the findings suggest an association between using Tinder and users' well-being. Future research could extend these findings by utilizing a longitudinal research design and including other aspects of well-being and psychopathology such as life satisfaction and depression.

International students’ psychosocial well-being and social media use at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic: A latent profile analysis

“…According to the social compensation perspective, individuals with psychological vulnerabilities not only gravitate towards mediated communication, but also benefit from it, although these benefits are not as frequently studied (cf. Her & Timmermans, 2021 ; also see Toma, 2022 ). While the current dataset cannot address this important question, we urge future research to do so.…”

Intimate Relationships during COVID-19 across the Genders: An Examination of the Interactions of Digital Dating, Sexual Behavior, and Mental Health

“…On the contrary, females are accustomed to receiving more validation than men, thereby reinforcing their self-esteem via "ego-booster" apps such as Tinder (Alexopoulos et al 2020). Another study found that Tinder use can be harmful to one's well-being, especially for compulsive users who exhibit increased self-comparison behaviors and for those looking for romantic relationships (Her and Timmermans 2020). A third study explored dating on Tinder and its effects from both ends of the spectrum, in terms of its impact on healthy intimate relationships (Chisom 2021).…”

Defining Post-Pandemic Work and Organizations: The Need for Team Belongingness and Trust

“…Emergent evidence on online dating indicates 18-25% of Tinder users were in committed relationships, and that these individuals tended to have more casual sexual behavior [36]. Likewise, compulsive use of the app tended to create worse outcomes for individual wellbeing [37]. The progression online during the pandemic likely had similar effects to employee wellbeing: a key focus of effective leaders.…”