Are Dating Apps A Guise For Data Collection

. 2020 Sep 7;17(18):6500.

doi: 10.3390/ijerph17186500.

Dating Apps and Their Sociodemographic and Psychosocial Correlates: A Systematic Review

Affiliations

PMID: 32906632
PMCID: PMC7557852
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17186500

Free PMC article

Dating Apps and Their Sociodemographic and Psychosocial Correlates: A Systematic Review

Ángel Castro et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 .

Free PMC article

Abstract

The emergence and popularization of dating apps have changed the way people meet and interact with potential romantic and sexual partners. In parallel with the increased use of these applications, a remarkable scientific literature has developed. However, due to the recency of the phenomenon, some gaps in the existing research can be expected. Therefore, the objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review of the empirical research of the psychosocial content published in the last five years (2016-2020) on dating apps. A search was conducted in different databases, and we identified 502 articles in our initial search. After screening titles and abstracts and examining articles in detail, 70 studies were included in the review. The most relevant data (author/s and year, sample size and characteristics, methodology) and their findings were extracted from each study and grouped into four blocks: user dating apps characteristics, usage characteristics, motives for use, and benefits and risks of use. The limitations of the literature consulted are discussed, as well as the practical implications of the results obtained, highlighting the relevance of dating apps, which have become a tool widely used by millions of people around the world.

Keywords: Grindr; Tinder; dating apps; systematic review.

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

**Figure 1**
Flowchart of the systematic review process.

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