Nearly one in four teenagers are using dating apps, according to a recent study by Northwestern Medicine. Over six months, the study monitored adolescents and found that 23.5% used dating apps, challenging previous estimates and assumptions about their impact on mental health.
The research suggests that dating apps might offer beneficial social connections for teens, especially those identifying as sexual and gender minorities. Lilian Li, the study's author and a postdoctoral research fellow at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, emphasized the importance of open conversations between parents and teens regarding app usage: “Perhaps parents don’t need to immediately panic when they see their teens using dating apps,” Li said.
Unlike past studies that relied on self-reports, this research tracked real-time keyboard activity through an app called the Effortless Assessment Research System. The study was published on July 21 in the Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical Science.
The most popular apps among teens were identified as Tinder, Yubo, Hinge, Bumble, and Pdbee. Teens using these apps were more likely to belong to sexual or gender minority groups. Despite higher initial rates of risky behaviors like rule-breaking and substance use among app users, no significant differences in mental health outcomes were observed between users and non-users after six months.
Li noted that friendship-seeking apps such as Yubo and MeetMe may account for higher usage rates compared to previous studies. The researchers plan further investigations into screen time behaviors like swiping and liking photos.
The study included 149 adolescents from New York City and Chicago areas as part of a larger project supported by the National Institute of Mental Health and the Morgan Stanley Foundation. Other contributors from Northwestern University include Stewart Shankman, Madeline McGregor, and Sarah Sarkas.
“Teen dating relationships can shape mental health well into adulthood,” Li stated. Understanding teen engagement with dating apps is crucial for grasping this aspect of their social development.