looking for love?44% of U.S. Adults Use Dating Apps to Find Long-Term Partners: Study – Nationwide

A study by the Pew Research Center on Thursday found that three in 10 U.S. adults use a variety of dating sites or apps, whether they’re looking for love or casual encounters. He says he has used it in his experience. In the under-35 set, more than half have tried.

At 30% of the total, the figure has remained unchanged since 2019, when the Center last surveyed online dating broadly. In 2015, 15% of U.S. adults said they had used a dating site or app, says lead researcher Colleen McClain.

“When I talk to users who have visited the site recently, I see mixed emotions,” she said. “Everything from burnout to elation”

One of McClain’s key takeaways from the study is that 1 in 10 partnered adults said they met their current partner on a dating site or app. Under 30 she increases to 5 and she to 1.

When asked why they use the platform, 44% of current or recent users say finding a long-term partner is their top priority, and 40% want casual dating. 24% were looking for casual sex and 22% were looking for new friends.

Using dating sites and apps is the most popular among adults under the age of 30, with 53% having done so, Pew reports. This equates to 37% from age 30 to her 49. 20% between the ages of 50 and 64. 13% over the age of 65.

Atlanta firefighter Andy Giron, 33, is one pleasant surprise. Until recently, he thought of digital dating as “a little weird.”

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Jiron just got out of a long-term relationship in 2019 and decided to give casual dating a try on Tinder. Did.

“My wife was our first date on Hinge,” he said. There was an immediate connection.”

The two married six months later, shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic hit. They now have a 1 year old daughter. Giron was inspired to turn to dating her online by his sister, who had similarly found his spouse.

“I always thought I should meet someone in person, but this is the way the world is now,” said Giron.

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Across age groups, 51% of lesbian, gay and bisexual adults have used a dating site or app.

Men are more likely than women to report positive experiences with digital dating (57% vs. 48%), and LGB users are more likely than straight users to say the same thing, 61% vs. 53%. White or black adults who have used either platform are more likely than Hispanic users to say their experience is negative.

18 percentage points more men said casual sex was their main reason for using a dating site or app in the past year than female users said the same.

Pew’s study is based on a survey of nearly 6,000 US adults conducted last July 5-17.

Their online dating experience was mixed, with 53% saying it was at least somewhat positive. 14% said they were very positive, and 48% said their experience included at least one of his four undesirable behaviors explored in the survey.

Of those who reported negative experiences, 38% said they received unsolicited sexual messages or images, and 30% cited unwanted and ongoing contact. Twenty-four percent said they were called offensive names, and 6% said they were physically threatened.

Female users, especially those under the age of 50, were more likely to report such experiences.

Like Giron, 22-year-old Liv Loughlin, a marketing associate at a tech company in San Jose, Calif., had just ended a long-term relationship when she first tried digital dating last September.

“I was new to the area and especially wanted to meet people,” she said. “My first date on a dating app was with Hinge. It was crazy. eventually rescued.

But Laughlin didn’t give up. She turned to Bumble where she is happily in a relationship with a man she meets.

“I thought I had hit rock bottom and had no choice but to climb,” she said.

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Safety is a big concern for some digital data users. In light of reported stalking, sexual assault, and other violence, it has over the years demanded more protections, including necessary background checks. Few sites require such checks of all users. is not.

“I can see that Americans are divided on this,” McClane said. “48% say dating sites are a safe way to meet people, 49% say they’re not safe.”

Overall, a majority said dating sites and apps require background checks.

Unemployed marketing specialist Stacey Overcamp, 58, knows the dangers firsthand. She has been dating online since around 1998 and over the years several contacts have led to relationships.

“I’ve never had trouble meeting men online. I’ve had trouble meeting quality men online,” said Overcamp outside San Francisco. One long-term relationship ended in stalking, harassment and restraining orders, she said. However, she remains active as her priorities have shifted to her marriage.

Overcamp estimates 30-40 contacts per month.

“If I weren’t online, it would take me five years to talk and connect with so many men,” she said.

Pew investigated eight sites and apps. Tinder is the most commonly used, with 46% of digital daters saying they have tried it. This represents her 14% of all US adults. About 10% of US adults say they have used Match or Bumble. 6% said they have tried OkCupid, eharmony and Hinge.

Grindr and HER were much more popular among lesbian, gay, and bisexual online daters than straight users. About 34% of LGB users said he had tried Grindr and 10% said he had tried HER.