Dating Apps and Their Sociodemographic and Psychosocial Correlates: A Systematic Review

Ángel Castro and Juan Ramón Barrada
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Ángel Castro: Facultad de Ciencias Sociales y Humanas, Universidad de Zaragoza, Calle Atarazanas, 4. 44003 Teruel, Spain
Juan Ramón Barrada: Facultad de Ciencias Sociales y Humanas, Universidad de Zaragoza, Calle Atarazanas, 4. 44003 Teruel, Spain

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 18, 1-25

Abstract: The emergence and popularization of dating apps have changed the way people meet and interact with potential romantic and sexual partners. In parallel with the increased use of these applications, a remarkable scientific literature has developed. However, due to the recency of the phenomenon, some gaps in the existing research can be expected. Therefore, the objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review of the empirical research of the psychosocial content published in the last five years (2016–2020) on dating apps. A search was conducted in different databases, and we identified 502 articles in our initial search. After screening titles and abstracts and examining articles in detail, 70 studies were included in the review. The most relevant data (author/s and year, sample size and characteristics, methodology) and their findings were extracted from each study and grouped into four blocks: user dating apps characteristics, usage characteristics, motives for use, and benefits and risks of use. The limitations of the literature consulted are discussed, as well as the practical implications of the results obtained, highlighting the relevance of dating apps, which have become a tool widely used by millions of people around the world.

Keywords: dating apps; Tinder; Grindr; systematic review (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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