If you’re single and looking for romance, chances are you’re on (or have previously used) at least one dating app. The top five dating apps boast more than 120 million users around the world, showcasing just how popular this method is for finding love, or at least a one-night stand. But is all this swiping having a negative effect on us? Could dating apps be bad for our mental health? Perhaps unsurprisingly, the answer is yes.
How bad are dating apps for our mental health?
- Dating apps can lead to an increase in anxiety. Even if you consider yourself to be pretty level-headed and able to stand up to pressure, dating apps get to people. Caroline Harper, Specialist Mental Health Nurse at Bupa UK, admits having an unhealthy relationship with dating apps can be bad for your mental health, especially when it comes to anxiety. “Rejection can also play a part in dating apps and these can leave you feeling low or anxious. They can wreak havoc on low self-esteem, too. Although having low self-esteem isn’t a mental health issue itself, it can increase feelings of stress, depression, and anxiety,” she explained. In fact, dating app users report experiencing three times the amount of stress in comparison to non-users.
- They can give you a negative body image. It’s hard enough with media telling women (and men!) how we should look to be considered conventionally attractive. However, dating apps have made that a million times worse. A 2016 study found that Tinder users admitted to having less satisfaction with their physical appearance and shame about their bodies than those who didn’t use the app. That’s not a good thing!
- They take a toll on your overall self-esteem. This is because it’s really hard not to take it personally when you get rejected, ghosted, or have any kind of negative experience. This can lead you to feel bad about yourself even when not using the dating apps as it takes such a serious toll on your mental health. Not good.
How to keep dating apps from negatively affecting your mental health
- Limit your time on them. You shouldn’t be spending a ton of time on dating apps if you want to preserve your mental health. Set yourself a daily time limit for scrolling and messaging and stick to it no matter what. These healthy boundaries will ensure that you’re not investing too much of your energy into the apps and will go a long way toward preserving your general sense of well-being.
- Don’t equate your worth with your dating app success. As hard as it is not to feel bad about yourself when someone on a dating app insults you, ghosts you, or flat-out rejects you, it’s important that you cultivate a sense of self-worth that is unattached to what’s happening on your phone. After all, an interaction based solely on a picture and a short bio can’t be a true reflection on everything you have to offer in the real world, can it?
- Don’t be afraid to block and delete. If someone is being offensive or rude to you on dating apps, block them. If your mental health is going to a bad place because of something that happened on a dating app or simply because you’re spending too much time on it, delete your profile. You can always go back in a few weeks or months when you’re in a better place. For now, you’re better off taking a step back and removing yourself from situations that don’t make you feel good.
