Latest news with #datingapps
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Why parents shouldn't let teens use dating apps
Kara Alaimo is an associate professor of communication at Fairleigh Dickinson University. Her book 'Over the Influence: Why Social Media Is Toxic for Women and Girls — And How We Can Take It Back' was published in 2024 by Alcove Press. Teenagers are using dating apps more than we previously knew, according to research published this week in the Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical Science. The study found that 23.5% of teens ages 13 through 18 used dating apps over a six-month period, which is more than past estimates. The study is believed to be the first to track how teens use dating apps by recording their keyboard activity rather than relying on self-reports, according to the researchers. The study found that teens who used dating apps didn't generally have more symptoms of mental health challenges after six months than those who didn't. However, those who used dating apps frequently were more likely to have symptoms of major depressive disorders. 'This study showed some support for dating app users having greater depressive symptoms and greater engagement in risky behaviors,' said Lilian Li, a postdoctoral fellow in the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago and the study's lead author. It's unclear whether that's because the dating app users were harmed on the apps through things such as exposure to harassment or risky behaviors, Li said, or whether those who were depressed used dating apps because they had trouble connecting with others. Li cautioned that the study was small — it included 149 teens in the United States, 35 of whom used dating apps. And because it only tracked keyboard entries, it wasn't able to measure things such as lurking or liking and disliking profiles. There's still reason for parents to be concerned, because dating apps could also be harming kids in other ways. That's why, when I speak to parents and students about how to handle kids' use of apps, I suggest that teenagers not use online dating platforms at all. Teens can connect with predators online One reason I don't think teens belong on dating apps is because they're dangerous. Researchers have warned that registered sex offenders freely use online dating sites. Online dating particularly raises the risk of teens being catfished, manipulated into an emotional relationship with someone using an assumed identity. That creates the opportunity for the other person to convince the teen to share an intimate image, which can then be used for financial extortion or to pressure the victim into further exploitation. These risks make dating apps dangerous for adults but even more so for teenagers, because the teenage brain is wired to accept greater risks in the pursuit of rewards, according to the UCLA Center for the Developing Adolescent. That's why it didn't surprise me that the new research found that teens who engaged in other risky behaviors, such as using substances and breaking rules, were more likely to use dating apps. We can't expect teenagers to consider that the person they think is their new boyfriend or girlfriend might actually be an adult cybercriminal. Teens also can't be expected to think through the potential consequences if they decide to meet up in person with someone they connected with online. 'Minors are not permitted on our dating apps, full stop,' said a spokesperson for the Match Group, which owns Tinder, the most-used dating app among teens in the study. 'Our platforms are for adults 18 and older, and we deploy industry-leading technology and human oversight to keep underage users off them. Our brands deploy sophisticated safety tools including AI-powered age verification, ID verification, and device blocking, as well as human moderators to proactively detect and remove minors and bad actors. 'We work with longstanding partners like THORN to enhance safety measures and, this year, supported the founding of ROOST, a nonprofit focused on building scalable tools for child safety. We continue to invest in cutting-edge tools, technology, and partnerships to help ensure our platforms remain safe for the communities we serve.' The spokesperson also noted that the Match Group offers a safety tool to conduct background checks on users and that the statistics in the new research include social discovery apps, which are different from dating apps. Dating apps don't teach teens to have healthy relationships The problem is not just that dating apps are dangerous, which they can be. They can also send the wrong signals to young people about human relationships. If you want to establish and maintain a relationship with someone in person, you generally have to learn things like how to have a two-way conversation, show consideration for the other person and even resolve disagreements that might come up. These are all skills that teens need to practice and which will serve them well in many aspects of their lives. They'll not only help youth deal with people such as future professors and employers but will likely make them happier over the long run. Close relationships are even more important for our happiness than things such as money or fame and are also important to our health, Harvard University researchers found in one of the longest studies of adults ever conducted. In interviews for my book, people told me they felt dating app users invest less in the relationships they form with their 'matches' because the apps convey the impression that there are always more people available to swipe on. ' If someone upsets you for the smallest reason, you can go to a dating app and find someone else,' one woman told me. So teens are learning they can walk away from dating apps feeling like romantic partners are easily obtained and let go, rather than learning to refine skills to maintain close offline relationships. There are other ways to meet their needs To start conversations about these concerns, parents should check in with teens on whether they're using or want to use dating apps. If teens say yes, it's an opportunity to consider how they can meet their needs in other ways. For example, if teens are lonely or want to find a romantic partner, one of the best things we can do is let them get together with peers in person. They can connect with friends and even potential romantic partners who share similar interests by signing up for extracurricular activities. It is also an important way of helping teens feel like they matter, which is one of the best means for promoting well-being. The new study found that dating apps may give teens who are sexual and gender minorities in their communities ways of making valuable social connections. It would be even better, however, for parents to explore how such teens can make those connections by meeting up with the kinds of people they want to know face-to-face. Some teens may also want to use dating apps because some platforms have suggested they have algorithms that can match people with their soulmates — or at least compatible romantic partners. However, decades of research tells us this isn't possible, because it turns out that people's personality traits don't actually predict whether they'll do well as a couple. Prepare teens for using dating apps in the future Still, 30% of Americans have used a dating app or site at some point, according to a 2023 Pew Research Center survey, so it's possible that your teen will find a way to evade your rules against using them now or will use one in the future. That's why you should talk to teens about how to stay safe on dating apps if they do use them at any point in their lives. I recommend video chatting with people before meeting up in person to confirm that they appear to be who they say they are, meeting in public places, telling loved ones where you're meeting, telling the person you're meeting that your loved ones know where you are, and not being alone with someone until you're confident you can trust them. I know parents think their children would never use a dating app or go meet a stranger they only know online. But since this new research suggests teens are using these apps more than parents may realize, it's best to be prepared. Whether teens are just breaking your rules or getting into trouble online, they are missing out on learning to establish healthy relationships face-to-face. That's why parents should talk to teens now about these concerns, helping them get their dating lives started on the right track instead of merely swiping right. Solve the daily Crossword
CNN
4 hours ago
- Health
- CNN
Why parents shouldn't let teens use dating apps
Kara Alaimo is an associate professor of communication at Fairleigh Dickinson University. Her book 'Over the Influence: Why Social Media Is Toxic for Women and Girls — And How We Can Take It Back' was published in 2024 by Alcove Press. Teenagers are using dating apps more than we previously knew, according to research published this week in the Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical Science. The study found that 23.5% of teens ages 13 through 18 used dating apps over a six-month period, which is more than past estimates. The study is believed to be the first to track how teens use dating apps by recording their keyboard activity rather than relying on self-reports, according to the researchers. The study found that teens who used dating apps didn't generally have more symptoms of mental health challenges after six months than those who didn't. However, those who used dating apps frequently were more likely to have symptoms of major depressive disorders. 'This study showed some support for dating app users having greater depressive symptoms and greater engagement in risky behaviors,' said Lilian Li, a postdoctoral fellow in the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago and the study's lead author. It's unclear whether that's because the dating app users were harmed on the apps through things such as exposure to harassment or risky behaviors, Li said, or whether those who were depressed used dating apps because they had trouble connecting with others. Li cautioned that the study was small — it included 149 teens in the United States, 35 of whom used dating apps. And because it only tracked keyboard entries, it wasn't able to measure things such as lurking or liking and disliking profiles. There's still reason for parents to be concerned, because dating apps could also be harming kids in other ways. That's why, when I speak to parents and students about how to handle kids' use of apps, I suggest that teenagers not use online dating platforms at all. One reason I don't think teens belong on dating apps is because they're dangerous. Researchers have warned that registered sex offenders freely use online dating sites. Online dating particularly raises the risk of teens being catfished, manipulated into an emotional relationship with someone using an assumed identity. That creates the opportunity for the other person to convince the teen to share an intimate image, which can then be used for financial extortion or to pressure the victim into further exploitation. These risks make dating apps dangerous for adults but even more so for teenagers, because the teenage brain is wired to accept greater risks in the pursuit of rewards, according to the UCLA Center for the Developing Adolescent. That's why it didn't surprise me that the new research found that teens who engaged in other risky behaviors, such as using substances and breaking rules, were more likely to use dating apps. We can't expect teenagers to consider that the person they think is their new boyfriend or girlfriend might actually be an adult cybercriminal. Teens also can't be expected to think through the potential consequences if they decide to meet up in person with someone they connected with online. 'Minors are not permitted on our dating apps, full stop,' said a spokesperson for the Match Group, which owns Tinder, the most-used dating app among teens in the study. 'Our platforms are for adults 18 and older, and we deploy industry-leading technology and human oversight to keep underage users off them. Our brands deploy sophisticated safety tools including AI-powered age verification, ID verification, and device blocking, as well as human moderators to proactively detect and remove minors and bad actors. 'We work with longstanding partners like THORN to enhance safety measures and, this year, supported the founding of ROOST, a nonprofit focused on building scalable tools for child safety. We continue to invest in cutting-edge tools, technology, and partnerships to help ensure our platforms remain safe for the communities we serve.' The spokesperson also noted that the Match Group offers a safety tool to conduct background checks on users and that the statistics in the new research include social discovery apps, which are different from dating apps. The problem is not just that dating apps are dangerous, which they can be. They can also send the wrong signals to young people about human relationships. If you want to establish and maintain a relationship with someone in person, you generally have to learn things like how to have a two-way conversation, show consideration for the other person and even resolve disagreements that might come up. These are all skills that teens need to practice and which will serve them well in many aspects of their lives. They'll not only help youth deal with people such as future professors and employers but will likely make them happier over the long run. Close relationships are even more important for our happiness than things such as money or fame and are also important to our health, Harvard University researchers found in one of the longest studies of adults ever conducted. In interviews for my book, people told me they felt dating app users invest less in the relationships they form with their 'matches' because the apps convey the impression that there are always more people available to swipe on. 'If someone upsets you for the smallest reason, you can go to a dating app and find someone else,' one woman told me. So teens are learning they can walk away from dating apps feeling like romantic partners are easily obtained and let go, rather than learning to refine skills to maintain close offline relationships. To start conversations about these concerns, parents should check in with teens on whether they're using or want to use dating apps. If teens say yes, it's an opportunity to consider how they can meet their needs in other ways. For example, if teens are lonely or want to find a romantic partner, one of the best things we can do is let them get together with peers in person. They can connect with friends and even potential romantic partners who share similar interests by signing up for extracurricular activities. It is also an important way of helping teens feel like they matter, which is one of the best means for promoting well-being. The new study found that dating apps may give teens who are sexual and gender minorities in their communities ways of making valuable social connections. It would be even better, however, for parents to explore how such teens can make those connections by meeting up with the kinds of people they want to know face-to-face. Some teens may also want to use dating apps because some platforms have suggested they have algorithms that can match people with their soulmates — or at least compatible romantic partners. However, decades of research tells us this isn't possible, because it turns out that people's personality traits don't actually predict whether they'll do well as a couple. Still, 30% of Americans have used a dating app or site at some point, according to a 2023 Pew Research Center survey, so it's possible that your teen will find a way to evade your rules against using them now or will use one in the future. That's why you should talk to teens about how to stay safe on dating apps if they do use them at any point in their lives. I recommend video chatting with people before meeting up in person to confirm that they appear to be who they say they are, meeting in public places, telling loved ones where you're meeting, telling the person you're meeting that your loved ones know where you are, and not being alone with someone until you're confident you can trust them. I know parents think their children would never use a dating app or go meet a stranger they only know online. But since this new research suggests teens are using these apps more than parents may realize, it's best to be prepared. Whether teens are just breaking your rules or getting into trouble online, they are missing out on learning to establish healthy relationships face-to-face. That's why parents should talk to teens now about these concerns, helping them get their dating lives started on the right track instead of merely swiping right.
CNN
4 hours ago
- Health
- CNN
Why parents shouldn't let teens use dating apps
Relationships Social media FacebookTweetLink Kara Alaimo is an associate professor of communication at Fairleigh Dickinson University. Her book 'Over the Influence: Why Social Media Is Toxic for Women and Girls — And How We Can Take It Back' was published in 2024 by Alcove Press. Teenagers are using dating apps more than we previously knew, according to research published this week in the Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical Science. The study found that 23.5% of teens ages 13 through 18 used dating apps over a six-month period, which is more than past estimates. The study is believed to be the first to track how teens use dating apps by recording their keyboard activity rather than relying on self-reports, according to the researchers. The study found that teens who used dating apps didn't generally have more symptoms of mental health challenges after six months than those who didn't. However, those who used dating apps frequently were more likely to have symptoms of major depressive disorders. 'This study showed some support for dating app users having greater depressive symptoms and greater engagement in risky behaviors,' said Lilian Li, a postdoctoral fellow in the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago and the study's lead author. It's unclear whether that's because the dating app users were harmed on the apps through things such as exposure to harassment or risky behaviors, Li said, or whether those who were depressed used dating apps because they had trouble connecting with others. Li cautioned that the study was small — it included 149 teens in the United States, 35 of whom used dating apps. And because it only tracked keyboard entries, it wasn't able to measure things such as lurking or liking and disliking profiles. There's still reason for parents to be concerned, because dating apps could also be harming kids in other ways. That's why, when I speak to parents and students about how to handle kids' use of apps, I suggest that teenagers not use online dating platforms at all. One reason I don't think teens belong on dating apps is because they're dangerous. Researchers have warned that registered sex offenders freely use online dating sites. Online dating particularly raises the risk of teens being catfished, manipulated into an emotional relationship with someone using an assumed identity. That creates the opportunity for the other person to convince the teen to share an intimate image, which can then be used for financial extortion or to pressure the victim into further exploitation. These risks make dating apps dangerous for adults but even more so for teenagers, because the teenage brain is wired to accept greater risks in the pursuit of rewards, according to the UCLA Center for the Developing Adolescent. That's why it didn't surprise me that the new research found that teens who engaged in other risky behaviors, such as using substances and breaking rules, were more likely to use dating apps. We can't expect teenagers to consider that the person they think is their new boyfriend or girlfriend might actually be an adult cybercriminal. Teens also can't be expected to think through the potential consequences if they decide to meet up in person with someone they connected with online. 'Minors are not permitted on our dating apps, full stop,' said a spokesperson for the Match Group, which owns Tinder, the most-used dating app among teens in the study. 'Our platforms are for adults 18 and older, and we deploy industry-leading technology and human oversight to keep underage users off them. Our brands deploy sophisticated safety tools including AI-powered age verification, ID verification, and device blocking, as well as human moderators to proactively detect and remove minors and bad actors. 'We work with longstanding partners like THORN to enhance safety measures and, this year, supported the founding of ROOST, a nonprofit focused on building scalable tools for child safety. We continue to invest in cutting-edge tools, technology, and partnerships to help ensure our platforms remain safe for the communities we serve.' The spokesperson also noted that the Match Group offers a safety tool to conduct background checks on users and that the statistics in the new research include social discovery apps, which are different from dating apps. The problem is not just that dating apps are dangerous, which they can be. They can also send the wrong signals to young people about human relationships. If you want to establish and maintain a relationship with someone in person, you generally have to learn things like how to have a two-way conversation, show consideration for the other person and even resolve disagreements that might come up. These are all skills that teens need to practice and which will serve them well in many aspects of their lives. They'll not only help youth deal with people such as future professors and employers but will likely make them happier over the long run. Close relationships are even more important for our happiness than things such as money or fame and are also important to our health, Harvard University researchers found in one of the longest studies of adults ever conducted. In interviews for my book, people told me they felt dating app users invest less in the relationships they form with their 'matches' because the apps convey the impression that there are always more people available to swipe on. 'If someone upsets you for the smallest reason, you can go to a dating app and find someone else,' one woman told me. So teens are learning they can walk away from dating apps feeling like romantic partners are easily obtained and let go, rather than learning to refine skills to maintain close offline relationships. To start conversations about these concerns, parents should check in with teens on whether they're using or want to use dating apps. If teens say yes, it's an opportunity to consider how they can meet their needs in other ways. For example, if teens are lonely or want to find a romantic partner, one of the best things we can do is let them get together with peers in person. They can connect with friends and even potential romantic partners who share similar interests by signing up for extracurricular activities. It is also an important way of helping teens feel like they matter, which is one of the best means for promoting well-being. The new study found that dating apps may give teens who are sexual and gender minorities in their communities ways of making valuable social connections. It would be even better, however, for parents to explore how such teens can make those connections by meeting up with the kinds of people they want to know face-to-face. Some teens may also want to use dating apps because some platforms have suggested they have algorithms that can match people with their soulmates — or at least compatible romantic partners. However, decades of research tells us this isn't possible, because it turns out that people's personality traits don't actually predict whether they'll do well as a couple. Still, 30% of Americans have used a dating app or site at some point, according to a 2023 Pew Research Center survey, so it's possible that your teen will find a way to evade your rules against using them now or will use one in the future. That's why you should talk to teens about how to stay safe on dating apps if they do use them at any point in their lives. I recommend video chatting with people before meeting up in person to confirm that they appear to be who they say they are, meeting in public places, telling loved ones where you're meeting, telling the person you're meeting that your loved ones know where you are, and not being alone with someone until you're confident you can trust them. I know parents think their children would never use a dating app or go meet a stranger they only know online. But since this new research suggests teens are using these apps more than parents may realize, it's best to be prepared. Whether teens are just breaking your rules or getting into trouble online, they are missing out on learning to establish healthy relationships face-to-face. That's why parents should talk to teens now about these concerns, helping them get their dating lives started on the right track instead of merely swiping right.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Science
- Daily Mail
Men really are 'punching' on dating apps! Blokes pursue women who are more attractive than themselves, study confirms
Ladies - if it feels pretty bleak on the dating apps at the moment, scientists might have worked out the reason why. An analysis of online dating sites has revealed that men tend to 'punch' above their attractiveness level when it comes to swipes. Researchers discovered that overall, successful matches were more likely to occur between people with similar levels of desirability. But this means that men have likely ended up settling for someone who they were initially less interested in - after being rejected by more attractive options. 'Women nominate on average slightly less desirable mates, and men send ties (swipes) to women who are on average considerably more desirable than themselves,' the researchers wrote in the journal Plos One. 'Our research…shows that while men often aim high when choosing whom to contact, successful matches tend to happen between people with similar levels of desirability. 'This pattern is largely the result of rejection, rather than an initial preference for similarity.' The findings could shed some light on the success of certain male celebrities including Jay Z, Barry Keoghan and Pete Davidson - all of whom have dated women that many consider to be more attractive than them. The research was carried out by a team from the Ludwig Maximillian University of Munich, in Germany, and the University of Manchester. For their study, the team analysed data on nearly 3,000 heterosexual users of a Czech dating app, including swipes and desirability. Desirability was calculated by working out who received the most swipes. Women tended to rank more highly in this hierarchy, they discovered, largely because the app had many more male users than female ones. Overall, they found that men were more likely to pursue women who ranked as more desirable than them. 'Men tend to send ties (swipes) to women who are on average considerably more desirable than themselves,' the team wrote. 'All these findings together point toward the presence of aspirational pursuit among men, but not among women.' The analysis also revealed a huge discrepancy between how many swipes a person received, with certain individuals receiving triple the average amount of swipes. While some users sent almost no swipes, some were highly active when searching for a partner. The researchers said women's willingness to 'partner down' should be taken with a 'grain of salt' due to the low variability in how desirable men were. Previous research has suggested that married couples often share similar characteristics - such as age, ethnicity or political ideology. Scientists have also found that men and women are good at judging their own attractiveness, and tend to marry people who are similarly attractive. This suggests people largely date and marry people in our own 'league' - as far as beauty is concerned - experts from the University of Florida said. HOW CAN YOU CHECK IF YOU ARE BEING CATFISHED? Dating apps and online websites are plagued with fraudulent profiles, known as 'catfishes'. 'Catfishing' originated as a term for the process of luring people into false relationships, however, it has also come to encompass people giving out false information about themselves more generally. These profiles often use images of another person to allow users to pretend to be someone else in order to get a date, or scam money from a lonelyheart. Fortunately, there are certain ways to check if these profiles are real people or if they are bogus accounts — 1. Google reverse image search This is probably the most valuable tool for catching out a catfish and can be done via Google. To kickstart the process, people need only right-click the photos that are arousing their suspcions, copy the URL and paste it into The search engine will search to see if the image has been used elsewhere. If you find the picture associated with a different person to the one you're speaking to on your dating app, it's likely you've met a catfish! 2. Use an app called Veracity It is useful for dating sites such as Tinder, Bumble and Grindr as it allows images from Dropbox or Camera roll (or similar) to be cross-referenced against any matching results. Load the app, then select a screenshot of the suspicious dating app profile from your camera roll to launch the search. The app will tell you if the picture belongs to somebody else. 3. Check their Facebook Almost everyone who has a profile on a dating site will have a Facebook account (most dating apps require users to have one, after all!) so it is always advisable to track down your potential suitor on other forms of social media. 4. Google them Google and other search engines have an extensive repertoire and most people will crop up in a search. In this day and age, it's unusual for someone to have nothing on Google. Have a search through for them or their relatives, things they've said or posted in the past. If there's nothing, that should raise alarm bells. For prospective romantic engagements, seeing the face of someone you are virtually talking to is essential. 6. Money This is probably a scam and should provide immediate red flags.
CTV News
4 days ago
- CTV News
Warnings circulate over men with violent pasts on dating apps
Calgary Watch There is growing alarm online after recent social media posts warn that two men convicted of killing women have been active on dating apps in Alberta.
