Social Anxiety and Depression Linked to Dating App Usage, Study Finds

People who frequently use dating apps might have more symptoms of social anxiety and depression, a new study found.

Published in the peer-reviewed journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, the study evaluated the relationship between social anxiety, depression, and dating app use.

"This study is the first to empirically demonstrate a positive correlation between dating app use and symptoms of social anxiety and depression," says Ariella Lenton-Brym, a PhD student in clinical psychology at Ryerson University. She notes that "since our findings are cross-sectional, it’s important to note that we cannot make any causal conclusions about the relationships between these variables."

The Study's Findings

The study evaluated online surveys that examined psychopathology and dating app use among 374 people. "Social anxiety and depression symptoms were positively associated with the extent of participants’ dating app use," Lenton-Brym says. The study also found that among men, "symptoms of social anxiety and depression predicted a lower likelihood of initiating contact with a dating app match," she says.

The discovery about men was particularly interesting, she says, and speaks to a broader question: Do people who are highly socially anxious/depressed reap less of the "social benefits" offered by dating apps even though they use dating apps more than less anxious people?

"If so, are they needlessly exposing themselves to the potentially harmful consequences of dating app use?" Lenton-Brym says. "Our study doesn’t answer this last question, but I hope to explore it more in the future."

The data found that women were unlikely to initiate contact with a dating app match even when they had low levels of social anxiety and depression. "In other words, there was a floor effect: since the likelihood of women initiating contact was already low, it couldn’t get any lower as symptoms of social anxiety and/or depression increased in our sample," Lenton-Brym says.

The study also noted that past research has found that women use technology for social communication more than men. "With increased symptoms of social anxiety and depression, women may be even more likely to turn to technology for social connection, especially if alternative forms of social contact are reduced due to social avoidance," researchers wrote.

The study stressed that it only found a pattern of positive association between symptoms of social anxiety/depression and dating app use. Researchers could not determine whether people with more symptoms of social anxiety and/or depression are more likely to use dating apps. They also didn't find causal evidence that people become more socially anxious as a result of their dating app use.

Why Might Dating App Use Be Connected To Anxiety And Depression?

Though the study didn't establish a causal relationship, dating app use can contribute to anxiety and depression, says Soltana Nosrati, LCSW, a social worker at Novant Health.

"If you go to a bar, and you notice a guy, and you think he's hot, and you're looking at him, and he kind of ignores you, it's one rejection," she explains. But with dating apps, you see dozens of people, and you only "match" with those people whose profiles you like who also like you.

If you never match with the people you like, "it can feel like continuous rejection," Nosrati says. "Folks that will perceive themselves as being rejected are far more likely to feel anxious or depressed when they're on these apps."

Dating apps can also hurt people's self-esteem if they take the rejection or lack of matches personally. "Allowing this external website with complete strangers to decide your value is a mistake," Nosrati says.

Nosrati says apps aren't inherently bad, and that they are allowing a lot of people to safely meet and interact with others during the COVID-19 pandemic. But she suggests that dating app users, especially those with social anxiety or depression, use the app as a way to "fine tune your strengths and work on your weaknesses."

"So if you're not comfortable meeting people, going on a bunch of blind dates is a good idea to get used to the idea of meeting people," she says. "Instead of looking at this app as a solution for relationships, have fun with it. The more fun you have with it, and the less pressure you put on yourself, the easier it'll be."