Researchers say guys who use Tinder have lower self-esteem.
Apparently looking for love on the dating app Tinder is not good for your self-esteem, and a new study has found evidence that it particularly affects guys.
Presented at the Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association this week, the new research from University of North Texas found that college-age men who use Tinder have lower self-esteem than college-age men who do not use Tinder.
Researchers in the study called the app a “reputed ‘hook-up' site” where “men and women are simply objects to be viewed, rated, used, and disposed of in the Tinder universe.”
The study analyzed 70 women and 32 men who use Tinder and found men in the group were much more emotionally distressed than women. In fact, they said a potential explanation for these results is that men swipe right nearly 50 percent of the time while women are more picky, swiping right only 14 percent of the time.
“The shame and hurt men experience as a result of rejection and “ghosting” (e.g., when a potential romantic contact just ceases communication, such as not returning texts) is a common discussion theme on other social media platforms, such as Reddit,” the study said. “Even for those men with generally high levels of esteem, the current Tinder system does not appear to work in their favor and may result in a diminished sense of self after repeated use.”
While the study seems logical, it's pretty clear that the sample size is extremely small, especially to make logical jumps that all men who use Tinder have low-self esteem.
In a statement given to the Daily Dot, Tinder's in-house sociologist and relationship expert Jess Carbino questioned the study's results.
“Given the small sample size and unrepresentative nature of the sample, no actual findings can be established from an empirical perspective,” Carbino said. “Moreover, any serious social scientist would strongly question and doubt the validity of their results.”
While the results of the study may not be accurate, it is an interesting look at how mobile dating apps or apps in general can have an impact people's psychology.
Related:
- Tinder Movie Coming Soon
- Have a Crazy Tinder Story? Casting Call for Wild Tinder Stories
- Tinder Cause for STD Increase
What do you think? Share with us your thoughts in the comments below.
