They’re the modern way to find love according to the 323 million people who use them worldwide, but dating apps are fueling an obsession with cosmetic surgery that may not have a happy ending.
This is according to a study – “Swipe, Style, Surgery: Exploring Dating App Use, Self-Presentation Style, and Acceptance of Cosmetic Surgery” by Naomi Burkhardt, John Mingoia and Lauren Conboy – that appeared in Computers in Human Behavior.
“The visual nature of dating apps, which prioritize photo-based profiles, places significant pressure on users to present themselves in an idealized matter which is not genuine,” Burkhardt said.
For this study, the researchers surveyed 308 Australian women aged 18 to 72.
Some of the key findings included:
- Nearly half of the respondents had used a dating app in the past two years
- One in five reported undergoing at least one cosmetic procedure
- Women who used dating apps had significantly more positive attitudes towards cosmetic surgery compared to non-users, and those who altered their appearances digitally were also more likely to consider cosmetic procedures.
Swipe-based apps play a role in influencing 20% of women to change their looks via dermal fillers and anti-wrinkle injections in particular. And apart from the pressures to enhance physical appearance, dating apps could also be partly responsible for an increase in overall body dissatisfaction, eating disorders, anxiety and poor self-esteem among women.
According to co-author Conboy, it is worth looking at several interventions to address the psychological impacts of dating apps, including incorporating features that promote authenticity.
“Introducing more personality-based matching algorithms could also be considered to reduce the emphasis on physical looks, and apps could offer built-in body image interventions such as self-compassion exercises to mitigate the pressures to alter one’s appearance.”
LAUREN CONBOY
Online dating has become increasingly popular in recent years and the trend is expected to continue, with dating website eHarmony predicting that by 2040, more than 70% of relationships will begin online.
Co-author Mingoia added that dating apps have the potential to create healthier environments, where users can connect without feeling the need to confirm to unrealistic beauty standards.
“Hopefully this research can guide future studies to develop interventions to improve the authenticity of dating app use as well as support practitioners to better identify the motivations for women wanting to change their appearance,” Mingoia ended.
