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Objective: This study aimed to investigate the factors associated with online dating among college students engaging in casual sexual behavior, by understanding these factors, targeted intervention measures can be formulated for relevant departments to help college students better manage their sexual health and offer useful reference for the development of sexual health education. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a stratified cluster sampling method. Demographic and behavioral information was gathered through questionnaires for univariable and multivariable logistic regression analysis. Results: A total of 595 college students engaging in casual sexual behavior were included in the study, of whom 345 (57.98%) had found casual sexual partners through the internet. Multiple regression analysis indicated that male participants, those aged 20-21 years, those who had recently attended AIDS-themed lectures or health education classes at school, participants who were willing to engage in commercial sexual activities during online dating, participants who accepted sexual activities among men who have sex with men (MSM), those who reported having sexual intercourse with regular partners in the past year, participants who wanted to know if their online dating partners were HIV-diagnosed, those who had engaged in commercial sexual behavior in the past year and those who perceived themselves to be at risk of HIV infection were more likely to engage in online dating. Participants with general/disharmonious family relationships, those who consistently used condoms during casual sexual behavior and those who occasionally used condoms were less likely to engage in online dating. Conclusion: There were a certain extent proportion of casual partners among college students were sourced from the internet, indicating the profound influence of online dating on casual sexual behavior. Therefore, future research and intervention measures should focus on sexual health education and promotion on online dating platforms, strengthen regulations and guidance on college students' online dating behavior, and raise awareness of HIV prevention in this group.

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Romantic rejections are a hurtful yet common occurrence in online dating. While research in this area is growing, there is a need for a comprehensive and comparative overview to understand these rejection experiences better. This article presents the results of two cross-sectional survey studies that aimed to create a more comprehensive overview of multiple facets of rejections in online dating, particularly the types of rejections used, the (provided) reasons for rejecting, and the painfulness of being rejected. Results of Study 1 (n = 177) show that ghosting was the most often experienced rejection type, even when a considerable number of messages was exchanged before the rejection. Unmatching/blocking and rejections with an explanation occurred less but equally often. Moreover, individuals who experienced rejections with an explanation reported the highest painfulness rates, which raised important questions about the reasons behind such explicit rejections. Study 2 further unpacked the provided rejection reasons, from the rejecter and the rejectee perspective. Five categories were identified among the reasons, such as (lack of) attraction and reasons related to relationship investment. Several interesting discrepancies that emerged between reasons provided by rejecters versus rejectees are discussed. Our work underlines the multifaceted nature of rejection experiences in online dating and sets directions for future research that further explores the relationships between rejection types, reasons, and painfulness in detail.

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This linkage study examined the prevalence of traditional gender expressions in the textual and visual profile cues on mobile dating applications (MDA) (nbiographies = 396, npictures = 1352) of 396 young adults' (Mage = 22.39 years, SD = 2.86, 73% women) with attention to users' gender, sexual orientation, and platform type. For 184 users (Mage = 22.10 years, SD = 2.91, 75% women) media content data were linked to self-report survey data. Results showed that individuals aligned their self-presentations with traditional gender roles and expectations, and this link depended on their gender. No significant differences according to individuals' sexual orientation or platform type were found. Individuals' (hyper-) gender orientation also related to engagement in traditional gender expressions. Specifically, women with a stronger feminine gender orientation expressed more traditional femininity in their MDA profiles. For men, no significant associations between (aspects of) a masculine gender orientation and expressing traditional masculinity in their MDA profiles were found. Future research should further disentangle selective gendered self-presentations.

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OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence and sociodemographic associations of online dating in a demographically diverse U.S. national cohort of early adolescents. METHODS: We analyzed cross-sectional data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study (Year 2, 2018-2020, ages 11-12; N = 10,157). Multivariable logistic regression analyses were employed to estimate associations between sociodemographic factors (e.g., age, sex, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, household income, parental education) and early adolescent-reported online dating behaviors. RESULTS: Overall, 0.4% (n = 38) of participants reported ever using a dating app. Males (AOR 2.72, 95% CI 1.11-6.78) had higher odds of online dating compared to females, and sexual minority identification (e.g., lesbian, gay, or bisexual; AOR 12.97, 95% CI 4.32-38.96) was associated with greater odds of online dating compared to heterosexual identification. CONCLUSION: Given the occurrence of online dating among early adolescents despite age restrictions, interventions might address age misrepresentation. Adolescent sexual health education may consider incorporating anticipatory guidance on online dating, especially for males and sexual minorities. Future research could further investigate online dating patterns from early to late adolescence and associated health effects.

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Risky sex behavior is common among online dating users. Understanding the motives behind risky sex behavior might help identify suitable targets for prevention. We developed the Self-regulatory Sex Motives Scale in Online Dating (SSOD) to assess sex motives for casual sex in online dating users. This study evaluated the psychometric properties of the SSOD and examined the relationship between sex motives indexed by the SSOD and risky sex behavior. The new scale showed high internal consistency. Exploratory factor analysis suggested a one-factor solution. Sex motives were related to a higher frequency of having sex on the first date.

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Sex-social applications used by men who have sex with men (MSM) often provide options to disclose HIV status to encourage more positive language and reduce stigma. Yet, little research has sought to understand how in-app disclosure fields impact on disclosure motivation. We interviewed MSM living with HIV and those who self-reported being HIV-negative ( N = 27 ) in the UK and applied a hierarchical model of motivation to interpret our data. We found conflicting motivations for disclosure and point to HIV status disclosure fields having shifted disclosure norms, limiting their perceived optionality. Moreover, the pairwise and location-aware nature of these apps fails to support narrative forms of disclosure, reducing motivation. We highlight an opportunity to support users in disclosing by linking apps more explicitly to the social narratives developed through public health campaigns. This could reduce the required effort to explain "the science" behind different treatment and prevention options and promote a more consistent narrative.

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Although the use of geosocial networking (GSN) applications for relationship seeking is prevalent among sexual minority men (SMM), SMM of color may be vulnerable to sexual racism online. Little is known about how sexual racism relates to SMM of color's identity outness, which is integral to the minority stress model and the focus of this study. Eighty SMM, recruited through social media (53.7% racial/ethnic minority), reported their experiences of race-based discrimination on GSN apps and identity outness. Chi-squared and Fisher's tests examined differences in race-based discrimination online by participants' race/ethnicity. A factorial MANOVA was performed on outness to family, peers, and healthcare providers. Nearly one-third of participants experienced race-based discrimination online. Higher percentages of SMM of color experienced race-based discrimination than White SMM. SMM who experienced race-based discrimination online reported lower outness to family than those who had not. Post-hoc analyses revealed that Asian SMM reported consistently lower outness than other groups. Our findings resonated with the mediation framework of minority stress, suggesting that sexual racism online may be a distal stressor that contributes to the group-specific process of identity outness. This also illustrated the importance of addressing sexual racism on GSN apps to buffer existing stress with outness among SMM of color.

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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.

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Sexual awareness is an understudied phenomenon, despite its known effects on mental health. Little is known about the predictors of sexual awareness, including how early sexual debut and early engagement with online dating and hookup apps might impact the development of sexual mindfulness. Given the conceptual overlap between mindfulness and sexual awareness, this study tested a model that hypothesized that general mindfulness and early sexual and online dating debuts may be associated with mental health outcomes and sexual behavior through pathways involving sexual awareness (assertiveness, consciousness, appeal, and monitoring). A sample of 2,379 heterosexually active young adult women completed an online survey. Path models indicated that both early sexual debut (prior to age 15) and early online dating debut (prior to age 18) had significant, positive direct associations with anxiety and depression scores. Early online dating was also associated with condomless sex with casual male partners. However, both early sexual debut and early online dating debut were indirectly linked to greater sexual risk through greater appeal, and to lower sexual risk through sexual assertiveness. Additionally, greater monitoring contributed to more depression for those with an earlier sexual debut. These findings point to potential risks associated with early online dating. They also highlight benefits of studying sexual awareness as a multi-dimensional construct, especially as it helps to clarify divergent findings in the existing literature on the long-term consequences associated with early sexual debut. While some domains were associated with risk (monitoring and appeal), others were indicative of resilience (assertiveness).

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Smartphones are part of individuals' daily lifestyles, as are smartphone applications such as dating apps. Previous evidence suggests that high engagement in dating applications can be detrimental to some users' wellbeing. However, much of the published research has relied on cross-sectional studies and self-report measures. Therefore, the present study aims to overcome the limitations of subjective measures in cross-sectional designs by investigating for the first time the relationship between dating app users' wellbeing (self-esteem, craving and mood) and objective measures of their use during a one-week period. To do this, the present study employed a newly developed application, DiaryMood and utilized ecological momentary assessment (EMA), as it measured subjects' mood, self-esteem and craving three times per day and the time spent using the dating apps per day during one week. A convenience sample of 22 online dating app users participated in the present study. Findings from a three-level multilevel analysis indicated that increased time spent on dating apps predicted craving among dating app users and that notifications led to an improved mood and higher self-esteem. The results are discussed in relation to previous online dating studies. In sum, the present study sets a precedent for the use of EMA within the scope of online dating research, which may promote further studies adopting this methodology.

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Research shows that people lie on online dating sites often but might fail to remember this information subsequently. This study investigated participants' predicted and actual memory performance for personal semantic information after telling the truth versus a lie in two experiments in a setup similar to online dating sites. In Experiment 1, participants responded to open-ended questions either truthfully or fabricated lies in a within-subjects design, followed by predictions for remembering their responses. Subsequently, they recalled their responses through free-recall. Using the same design, Experiment 2 also manipulated the type of retrieval task by using a free- or cued-recall test. The results showed that participants consistently had higher memory predictions for truthful than deceptive responses. However, the actual memory performance did not always produce similar results to their predictions. The results suggest that the difficulties during lie fabrication, measured through response latencies, partially mediated the relationship between lying and memory predictions. The study has important applied implications for lying about personal semantic information in online dating contexts.

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The Internet is the setting for several forms of violent and risky behavior among adolescents, such as cyberbullying, sexualized interactions with adults, sexting, and online dating violence. Often, these behaviors are responses to experiences of online victimization. This study examined the differential effects of a wise intervention (WI), combining growth mindset and self-affirmation strategies, on these behaviors for adolescents who had experienced victimization and those who had not. A sample of 1,085 adolescents (54.3% girls; ages 11-18 years) were randomized into two intervention conditions (WI and an anti-stress control intervention). They completed measures of violent and risky behaviors at pretest and at 3- and 6-month follow-ups and measures of victimization at pretest. The results of multilevel analyses indicated that the WI was beneficial for adolescents without experiences of victimization at pretest, as they displayed smaller increases in online peer aggressions, sexualized interactions with adults, and sexting than the adolescents in the control condition. However, the WI was not beneficial for adolescents with experiences of victimization at pretest. Moreover, the adolescents under the anti-stress control condition displayed better outcome. These findings suggest that previous victimization experiences of adolescents should be considered to select an appropriate intervention.

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Objective: For gay and bisexual men who are confronted with minority stress, online dating sites may provide opportunities for coping. Extant research has largely neglected this, and those pieces that did address it did not sufficiently account for different motivations of use. Methods: Two survey studies served to explore links between minority stress, online dating use, and well-being (Study 1: N = 97, Study 2: N = 25,884). Results: The present work finds evidence that the use of online dating sites may have limited buffering effects on associations between minority stress and well-being. Conclusions: The findings contribute to existing work on online dating and the mental health of gay and bisexual men.

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Young sexual minority Black men (YSMBM) report widespread instances of Racialized Sexual Discrimination (RSD) when seeking intimate partners online. RSD is associated with negative psychological health outcomes; however, little is known about the differences between virtual environments, and whether users are exposed to differential types/frequencies of RSD across different virtual environments. Using data from a cross-sectional web survey of YSMBM (N = 548), a multivariate Kruskal-Wallis test was conducted comparing those who primarily used Jack'd and those who primarily used Grindr to meet intimate partners; the frequency with which these two groups encountered six RSD domains was compared. Men who primarily used Grindr reported more frequent instances of White superiority and rejection from White men compared with men who primarily used Jack'd. Men who primarily used Jack'd reported more frequent instances of physical objectification from Black men compared with men who primarily used Grindr. RSD may manifest differentially based on the specific venue that YSMBM use. Such differences may reflect the sociodemographic makeup of these spaces, as well as differences in acceptability/normalization of different forms of RSD. These findings have implications for the development of anti-RSD initiatives that target the specific sociocultural norms that are unique to different virtual environments.

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From the early years of the internet, its key importance was recognized as a site for sexual minorities to explore and express their identity and sexuality. Gay men were quick to connect online, first in chat rooms and subsequently on an ever-expanding array of sites and apps, culminating in geolocation apps such as Grindr. Although a lot of research has investigated the uses of these services, the focus is mostly on younger users, disregarding the experiences of older people. Moreover, the life stage of users is not sufficiently addressed, nor are their evolving uses throughout the life course. The current paper aims to contribute to this knowledge by reporting on a study involving four generations of Belgian men who have sex with men (MSM), combining insights gained in an exploratory survey (N = 684) with in-depth interviews (N = 80). The results show how men from different generations got access to dating sites and apps at different times in their lives, in a shifting balance with offline dating practices. Moreover, at the time of the research, participants were in different stages of their lives, which led to a variety of online dating practices. The end picture is one of dating "in motion", both shifting between generations and changing with the life course of individuals. This paper contributes to the literature on MSM online dating by adding a non-Anglophone perspective, studying a broad age range including older users, disclosing clear intergenerational differences, and transcending a static view of online dating among a single age cohort.

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Scholars have noted how online dating technologies are one important arena in which racism, classism, heteronormativity, and other systems of domination are reproduced. This often materializes via a "personal preference" discourse-a framing of desire as unique, individual, and untethered from systems of domination. Yet underexplored is how such a discourse, which fosters prejudice in preferences, is framed as socially acceptable. This paper draws on a content analysis of 858 unique profile screenshots and in-depth interview data of 26 users of Grindr, Scruff, and Jack'd to examine how users voice their "personal preferences." The content analysis results indicated that 24 percent of profiles listed a preference, and that most were framed in "positive" or polite ways (e.g., "I'm into…"). Analysis of interview data demonstrated that respondents engaged in what we call blatant exclusion and positive reframing in their interactions with other users to voice their "personal preferences." Users who did not state preferences still allowed their preferences to infuse their experiences on the app. We document how users negotiated racist, classist, and heteronormative preferences and, to an extent, how these users are understanding others' preferences. This study has implications for understanding the logic behind "personal preference" discourse and why it remains socially acceptable even as other systems of domination do not.

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BACKGROUND: HIV disproportionately impacts Black men who have sex with men (MSM), and targeting the primary relationship (ie, couples) using mobile technology for health holds promise for HIV prevention. Web-based recruitment of MSM is commonly employed in HIV prevention and intervention research. However, little known about recruiting Black MSM couples on the internet in the United States. OBJECTIVE: This study describes the process of recruiting Black MSM couples over social networking and dating apps frequented by MSM. We describe the activities for recruiting, screening, and enrolling participants as part of a randomized trial employing a multipronged recruitment approach. METHODS: Black MSM in couples were recruited via three apps (ie, Jack'd, Adam4Adam, and Growlr) between May 2020 and March 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. Black MSM couples were eligible if one or both partners are Black, MSM, and living with HIV, and if both partners were 18 years or older, and have been together for at least 2 months in what they both consider a primary relationship (ie, one in which both partners reported feeling most committed to over any other partner or relationship). RESULTS: A total of 10 Black MSM couples (n=20) were enrolled via social networking apps. App recruitment activities were a combination of passive (eg, in-app advertisements) and active (eg, direct messaging of users) engagement. Recruitment approaches varied by the social networking app owing to differences in app features. A full-time recruiter experienced challenges such as bugs (ie, technical errors in computer program or system), navigating technical requirements specific to each app, and web-based harassment. CONCLUSIONS: Despite challenges, it was possible to recruit Black MSM couples virtually into research as part of a multipronged recruitment strategy. We identify tips for using web-based dating and other social networking apps as part of a recruitment strategy in future research with Black MSM couples.

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How humans choose their mates is a central feature of adult life and an area of considerable disagreement among relationship researchers. However, few studies have examined mate choice (instead of mate preferences) around the world, and fewer still have considered data from online dating services. Using data from more than 1.8 million online daters from 24 countries, we examined the role of sex and resource-acquisition ability (as indicated by level of education and income) in mate choice using multilevel modeling. We then attempted to understand country-level variance by examining factors such as gender equality and the operational sex ratio. In every nation, a person's resource-acquisition ability was positively associated with the amount of attention they received from other site members. There was a marked sex difference in this effect; resource-acquisition ability improved the attention received by men almost 2.5 times that of women. This sex difference was in every country, admittedly with some variance between nations. Several country-level traits moderated the effects of resource-acquisition ability, and in the case of unemployment this moderating role differed by sex. Overall, country-level effects were more consistent with evolutionary explanations than sociocultural ones. The results suggest a robust effect of resource-acquisition ability on real-life mate choice that transcends international boundaries and is reliably stronger for men than women. Cross-cultural variance in the role of resource-acquisition ability appears sensitive to local competition and gender equality at the country level.

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This article reviews evidence for the social compensation hypothesis of online dating, according to which individuals who experience challenges with traditional dating gravitate towards and benefit from online dating. Three categories of psychosocial vulnerabilities that interfere with the initiation of romantic relationships are identified: 1) internalizing symptoms (i.e., anxiety, depression); 2) rejection sensitivity; and 3) attachment insecurity (i.e., anxiety, avoidance). The literature shows positive associations between anxiety, depression, rejection sensitivity, and attachment anxiety (but not avoidance) and online dating use. But significant lacunae exist in understanding the relational and wellbeing outcomes experienced by individuals with these psychosocial vulnerabilities, or of the mechanism through which vulnerabilities cause enhanced use of online dating. A detailed agenda for future research is proposed.

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Introduction: While a significant association between childhood maltreatment and sexual victimization in adulthood has been established in previous research, it is unknown whether this also applies to the context of online dating. Therefore, we aimed to investigate whether revictimization is common in online users and which mechanisms mediate this risk. Method: The participants were 413 heterosexual women aged between 18 and 35 who used mobile dating applications in the year before the assessment. The participants reported information on using mobile dating applications, motives for engaging in casual sex, protective dating strategies, and general motives for online dating. Results: Childhood maltreatment severity was positively related to both cyber and in-person sexual victimization severity. Motives related to regulating negative affect and self-esteem mediated the relationship between childhood maltreatment severity and in-person sexual victimization severity in adulthood. Furthermore, those motives moderated the association between cyber and in-person sexual victimization. The effect of cyber victimization on in-person sexual victimization was stronger at higher levels of affect/self-esteem regulatory sex motives compared to lower levels. The affect/self-esteem regulatory sex motives were not related to protective dating strategies. Discussion: The results of the study imply that a history of childhood maltreatment is a risk factor for sexual victimization in adulthood among young heterosexual women who use online dating. One of the factors linking these variables in this population might be affect/self-esteem regulatory sex motives. Future studies should aim at replicating these associations prospectively.

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