Dating apps mess with your hormones — and can even send libido levels plunging: study

Yahoo

10-05-2025

Dating apps can put us on hormonal rollercoaster.
Online dating is a gamble in more ways than one. Researchers have revealed that dating apps can monkey with our hormones, creating a chemical dependence that's on par with an addiction to games of chance — even when users swipe right.
The freaky findings were part of a joint study conducted by eHarmony and the Imperial College of Business in London, UK, the Mirror reported.
Scientists found that the rise in app usage — 50% of all UK couples will meet online by 2035, per the study — has brought about a disturbing phenomenon called the 'dating app' effect.
This occurs when dating app devotees experience such a severe chemical imbalance that it resembles a 'chronic stress disorder and addictive behavior.'
Unfortunately, this troubling phenomenon is caused by seemingly positive interactions like a psychological Trojan Horse. Hormone health expert Mike Kocsis explains that when a user gets a match or engagement, this messes with the brain's reward system pathway, eventually resulting in neurochemical dependence.
Kocsis explained that this emotional rollercoaster is a result of a 'reinforcement schedule' that can be broken down into three parts: The Anticipation Phase, the Perception Phase and the Reward delivery.
The Anticipation Phase occurs when users open the app and trigger a spike in the feel-good hormone dopamine. They experience a second rush when they start receiving notifications during the Perception Phase.
However, users receive their greatest dose of the mood-boosting chemical during Reward Phase, which is when the user gets a match.
While this initial dopamine dump might seem like a good thing, the uncertainty of getting matched prompts the user to adopt 'seeking behavior' so they can get their 'fix,' much like a gambling addict playing the slots, per the study.
Similar to a casino fiend, being away from the app for prolonged periods can make the user irritable and moody, Kocsis explained.
Dating app usage can paradoxically torpedo one's sex drive as well by messing with testosterone levels — a side effect that affects both sexes. A match can cause male sex hormone levels to spike by 15-20% in 20 minutes, while getting ghosted or unmatched can send testosterone production plummeting by 10-25%.
The latter plunge can, in turn, cause symptoms ranging from decreased energy to reduced libido.
One doesn't have to get rejected to have match-induced mood swings. Constantly awaiting feedback puts the user in a state of 'anticipatory anxiety,' where they experience elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol for several hours, which can disrupt the body's hormone and thyroid production.
This isn't the first study to expose the potential detrimental effects of dating apps.
A study by Austrian scientists suggested that these digital romance accelerants might prolong people's hunt for love.
They found that people tend to be pickier on dating apps since they have a never-ending amount of options, appearing to give them higher expectations for their choice of a partner.