Using smartphone apps to find sexual partners: A review of the literature

A snapshot of the presence of HIV-related features in MSM social media dating apps in New Zealand

The men who have sex with men (MSM) social media dating apps have emerged as a new channel for HIV prevention and education. However, there is a lack of clarity regarding the availability of specific HIV-related features on these apps, making it uncertain what features related to HIV are offered. This study provided a comprehensive overview of the existing HIV-related features of MSM social media dating apps in New Zealand by screening 39 apps, selected from a total of 1296 search results obtained from the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. The HIV-related features within these apps were categorized into 10 groups, including safety practices, HIV status, tribe Poz, where to get tested, last tested, test reminder, HIV/Sexual health information center, link to an outside organization, getting support from health practitioners, and search filters for HIV status, safety practice and tribe Poz, totaling 12 features. Results demonstrated that only about one-third of the apps contained HIV-related information but this ratio significantly increased during the last decade, suggesting a trend of normalization in incorporating such information in the apps. The safety practices and HIV status were identified as the two features most frequently incorporated into these apps and the underlying mechanisms were analyzed using the political economy of communication theory and the uses and gratifications theory. Overall, this study contributed to helping the stakeholders such as app developers, public health agencies, health practitioners and policymakers to make evidence-based decisions to incorporate and promote HIV prevention-related initiatives within the digital realm.

The Problematic Online Dating Apps Use Scale (PODAUS): Development and evaluation of its psychometric properties

The internet has facilitated significant transformations in interpersonal interactions, and offers new possibilities for finding romantic partners through the use of online dating apps. However, as with other technology-based tools, some individuals can develop problematic patterns of dating apps use, exhibiting symptoms resembling addiction. Consequently, the aim of the present study was the development of a new psychometric instrument to assess problematic dating apps use, the Problematic Online Dating Apps Use Scale (PODAUS), and the examination of its psychometric properties. The sample comprised 384 participants (254 females and 130 males; Mage=25.90 years; SD=5.21) who used dating apps daily. They completed an online survey including the PODAUS, Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale, Cyber Pornography Addiction Test, Love Addiction Inventory-Short-Form, and Ten-Item Personality Inventory. The PODAUS showed a one-factor structure with good indications of validity, reliability, and gender measurement invariance. Problematic online dating apps use was significantly associated with problematic social media use, problematic cyberpornography use, love addiction, and three personality traits (i.e., agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness). The PODAUS is a new and succinct self-report measure that assesses problematic dating apps use, and can be easily used in both research and clinical practice.

Online dating: predictors of problematic tinder use

BACKGROUND

Geolocation apps have radically transformed dating practices around the world, with profound sociocultural implications. Few studies, however, have explored their addictive potential or factors that are associated with their misuse.

OBJECTIVE

The present study aimed to assess the level of problematic Tinder use (PTU) in an adult sample, using a machine learning algorithm to determine, among 29 relevant variables, the most important predictors of PTU.

METHODS

1,387 users of Tinder (18-74 years-old; male = 50.3%; female = 49.1%) completed an online questionnaire, and a machine learning tool was used to analyze their responses.

RESULTS

On 5-point scale, participants' mean PTU score was 1.91 (SD = 0.70), indicating a relatively low overall level of problematic app use. Among the most important predictors of Problematic use were the use of Tinder for enhancement (reduce boredom and increase positive emotions), coping with psychological problems, and increasing social connectedness. The number of "matches" (when two users show mutual interest), the number of online contacts on Tinder, and the number of resulting offline dates were also among the top predictors of PTU. Depressive mood and loneliness were among the middle-ranked predictors of PTU.

CONCLUSION

In accordance with the Interaction of Person-Affect-Cognition-Execution model of problematic internet use, the results suggest that PTU relates to how individual experience on the app interacts with dispositional and situational characteristics. However, variables that seemed to relate to PTU, including lack of self-esteem, negative mood states and loneliness, are not problems that online dating services as currently designed can be expected to resolve. This argues for increased digital services to identify and address potential problems helping drive the popularity of dating apps.

The Bumble motivations framework- exploring a dating App's uses by emerging adults in India

Researchers have called for a better understanding of the differing motivations of dating app users. Whereas these have been described for Tinder, Grinder and Hinge in the Anglosphere, no research examples could be found for Indian users of Bumble. In response, this paper's pathfinder study helps close the gap by developing a Bumble motivation scale. Six primary motivations for using Bumble were identified through the exploratory factor analysis: Love, Socialisation, Ease of communication, Distraction, Trendiness, and Sexual experience. Notably, socialisation and love motivations emerged as more significant drivers for Bumble usage than sexual experiences, which contrasted with prior findings on dating apps. Additionally, age and biological sex differences were observed in the motivations reported by the participants. Men were more likely to use Bumble for sexual experiences, while women were more motivated by ease of communication. Furthermore, age was found to positively relate to motivations linked to love, distraction, trendiness, and sexual experiences. Moreover, the motivations of Love, socialisation, and trendiness were found to positively predict the frequency of Bumble usage. Among these motivations, Love, socialisation, and trendiness emerged as significant predictors of offline dating behaviour among the participants. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the factors influencing the adoption and engagement with Bumble among emerging adults in India. The implications of these findings may aid in refining dating app features and marketing strategies targeted at this specific demographic.

Understanding Motivations for Dating App Use Among Gay and Bisexual Men: Validation, Latent Profile Analysis, and Differences in Health Outcomes

While there has been a proliferation in gay dating app (GDA) use in China, research into their potential effects on health outcomes, particularly mental health outcomes, among gay and bisexual men is lacking. The motivations for GDA use are diverse, and understanding users' motivation profiles may provide a necessary starting point for exploring the heterogeneous effects of GDA use on health outcomes. A cross-sectional survey of the motivations for GDA use and other health outcome variables (i.e., condom use frequency, self-stigma, and subjective emptiness) was conducted among 366 Chinese gay and bisexual men. The results of exploration structure equation modeling indicate that the GDA Use Motivation Scale, with a four-factor first-order model, had strong psychometric properties. Then, latent profile analysis (LPA) based on the mean scores of four aspects of motivation was performed. The results of the LPA revealed the existence of four profiles: "Weak motivations" (30.9%), "Differentiated motivations" (17.8%), "Moderate motivations" (30.3%), and "Strong motivations" (21.0%). Differences in health outcomes among the motivation profiles were found by using the Bolck-Croon-Hagenaars approach. Overall, most participants (60.1%) tended to use condoms consistently, regardless of how strong their GDA use motivation was; however, stronger GDA use motivations were associated with higher levels of self-stigma and subjective emptiness. We call for more research to focus on the real needs behind and motivations for GDA use so that all such app users' voices can be heard, as well as to raise awareness about the potential health risks associated with GDA use among Chinese gay and bisexual men.

HIV epidemic, prevention technologies, and the new generations: trends and opportunities for epidemic response

The United Nations has underscored the possibility of ending the HIV epidemic as a public health problem. However, an increase in the incidence among adolescents and youth has indicated a greater distance between HIV responses and the specificities of the new generations, which can maintain the epidemic for an extended period. Regards this matter, it is debated that the provision of a range of preventive methods, even if highly effective, and a conservatism that has internalized stigma within government policies, hinder the proper and essential dialogue between current preventive policies and the needs of the new generations. These generations are marked by a social representation of AIDS as a mild disease, by new gender and sexuality performances, and by the search for a more critical role in affective and sexual encounters, which includes frequent use of dating apps and substances. The hierarchy of the delivery of prevention methods is presented as a proposal for a new policy, prioritizing pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and addressing the social determinants of the HIV epidemic, including strategies to mitigate stigma. The importance of the participation of adolescents and youth in constructing the policy and the need for an intersectoral response are also reinforced.

College Students' Experiences of Dating App Facilitated Sexual Violence and Associations with Mental Health Symptoms and Well-Being

Dating app facilitated sexual violence (DAFSV) includes behaviors such as unwanted sexual comments/harassment, unsolicited sexual photos, and gender/sexuality-based harassment - and could extend to sexual violence when meeting partners face-to-face. The effects of sexual violence on mental health are well-established; however, research on DAFSV has been limited. The goal of the current study was to understand college students' experiences of DAFSV and investigate cross-sectional associations with indicators of mental health (i.e. depression and anxiety symptoms) and well-being (i.e. self-esteem, loneliness, perceived control). Participants were college students in the United States who used dating apps (N = 277) and identified primarily as women (64.6%) and heterosexual/straight (74.0%). Most participants (88.4%) self-reported at least one instance of DAFSV. Women (vs. men) and sexual minority (vs. heterosexual/straight) individuals experienced more frequent DAFSV. Regression analyses indicated that DAFSV frequency was associated with higher depression and anxiety symptoms, higher loneliness, lower self-esteem, and lower perceived control. This study highlights the importance of DAFSV for a broad range of well-being indicators. Given that dating apps are one of the most common means of meeting partners, research is needed to better understand these initial interactions, prevent DAFSV from occurring, and mitigate the impact of DAFSV on health outcomes.

Finding Intimacy Online: A Machine Learning Analysis of Predictors of Success

While an extensive scientific literature now exists on the use of online dating services, there are very few studies on user satisfaction with dating apps and with the resulting offline dates. This study aimed to assess the level of satisfaction with Tinder use (STU) and the level of satisfaction with Tinder offline dates (STOD) in a sample of adult users of the app. The study also aimed to examine, among 28 variables, those that are the most important in predicting STU and STOD. Overall, 1,387 Tinder users completed an online questionnaire. A machine learning model was used to rank order predictors from most to least important. On a 4-point scale, participants' mean STU score was 2.39, and, on a 5-point scale, mean STOD score was 3.05. The results indicate that satisfaction with dating apps and with resulting offline dates is strongly predicted by participants' age and by their motives for using Tinder (enhancement, emotional coping, socialization, finding "true love," or casual sexual partners), whereas the variables negatively associated with satisfaction were those related to psychopathology. Interestingly, 65.3 percent of app users were married or "in a relationship," and only 50.3 percent of app users were using it to meet someone offline. Generally, participants who engage with the app to cope with personal difficulties seem more likely to report higher levels of dissatisfaction, suggesting that dating apps are a poor coping mechanism and highlighting the need to address underlying problems or pathologies that may be driving their use.

Validation of the Polish Problematic Tinder Use Scale and Its Relationship with Safe Sex Behaviors

INTRODUCTION

Online dating is a common phenomenon. The manageability and access of the application allows people to quickly reach many potential partners, which can increase risky sexual behaviors. The Problematic Tinder Use Scale (PTUS) was developed and validated in a Polish population by analyzing the reliability, validity, and factor structure of the responses given by Polish-speaking participants.

METHODS

Two samples of adult Tinder users were recruited online. The first study aimed to perform the reliability coefficient Cronbach's, interrater analysis, exploratory, and confirmatory factor analysis. The second sample was recruited to investigate the factor structure by combining it with the Safe Sex Behavior Questionnaire (SSBQ). The sociodemographic data, such as hours of use and number of dates, were also investigated.

RESULTS

The Polish participants' responses to the PTUS (sample 1: N = 271, sample 2: N = 162) revealed the one-factor structure of the tool. The reliability of the measurement was α = 0.80. The construct validity was confirmed. The results showed a significant, negative, and weak correlation between the PTUS and SSBQ scores and their subscales: risky sexual behaviors (r = -0.18), condom use (r = -0.22), and avoidance of body fluids (r = -0.17). Moreover, the number of partners met in the real world had a statistically significant, moderate relationship with the PTUS scores.

CONCLUSIONS

The PTUS measurement is valid and reliable for the Polish population. The findings highlight the need for harm prevention strategies related to potentially addictive Tinder use, as well as the possible risky sexual behaviors associated with dating app use.

Gay Dating Apps in China: Do They Alleviate or Exacerbate Loneliness? The Serial Mediation Effect of Perceived and Internalized Sexuality Stigma

Gay dating apps have become increasingly popular and been intensively used. However, studies that closely examine the effects of gay dating app usage on mental health outcomes are few. This study tackles an unsolved question on whether gay dating apps alleviate or exacerbate loneliness through perceptions of sexuality stigma. A cross-sectional online survey from 371 Chinese gay or bisexual men found that the intensity of gay dating app usage is positively associated with loneliness. The association between gay dating app usage intensity and loneliness is sequentially mediated by perceived sexuality stigma and internalized sexuality stigma. That is, increased intensity of gay dating app usage strengthens perceived sexuality stigma, which in turn reinforces internalized sexuality stigma, further exacerbating loneliness. This study echoes the "alone together" phenomena and uncovers the feasibility of using stigma perceptions as a mechanism to understand the mental health of gay dating app users.

The battle between light and dark side of personality: How light and dark personality traits predict mating strategies in the online context