Dating apps have become the go-to for starting a romance but new research reveals they may harm Australian's body image, mental health and overall wellbeing, as anxiety about achieving beach bodies returns this summer.
Australians are turning to online dating in record numbers, but Flinders University researchers have reviewed data from 45 studies between 2016 and 2023 to reveal the negative impact dating apps have on users' mental health and wellbeing.
Led by PhD candidate Zac Bowman in the College of Education, Psychology and Social Work, the analysis shows over 85% of the studies identified a significant connection between using dating apps and poor body image, and nearly 50% of the studies linked the apps with negative mental health outcomes.
"Our review shows that dating apps can undeniably harm users' body image, mental health, and wellbeing, highlighting the need for protections to reduce its negative impact on young Australians that regularly use apps in search of a partner," he said.
"These negative outcomes include disordered eating, unhealthy weight control behaviours such as steroid use, induced vomiting and laxative use. Using dating apps was also linked to poorer self-esteem and higher depression and anxiety."
Body image refers to the perceptions or feelings that one has towards their own appearance, often revolving around body size, shape, and attractiveness
The researchers say dating apps have 337 million users globally and the primary target demographic are people aged 18-29.
"Poor body image outcomes make it clear that developers need to introduce strategies that educate the public on the potential risks of using dating apps which will be critical to safeguarding young people's wellbeing," Mr Bowman said.
Between 2016 and 2023, 48.9% of studies focused on body image outcomes and over 60% on mental health and wellbeing.
Over 85% of these studies found significant negative impacts of dating app use on body image, and almost half reported negative effects on mental health and wellbeing.
Senior author, Professor Murray Drummond says younger adults are more likely to be using dating apps as well as battling with mental health and wellbeing concerns, so protecting them through regulation should be a policy priority.
"Regulations on dating apps, including introducing usage restrictions and daily time limits are needed to protect users from these concerning negative impacts."
"Developers should be looking at ways to decrease the serious implications attributed to app dating. For example, by decreasing the importance and prevalence of visual content on user profiles, addressing discrimination and abuse and promoting active use rather than passive."
Dating apps and their relationship with body image, mental health and wellbeing: A systematic review, by Zac Bowman, Murray Drummond, Julia Church, James Kay and Jasmine Petersen was published in Computers in Human Behaviour. DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2024.108515
