Does anyone on dating apps not have a love-hate relationship with them? While they can connect us with romantic prospects we never would have met in the “real world,” they’re also kind of terrible for our mental health, not to mention addictive. And now we can add “bad for our self-image” to the list too, as there’s a link between dating app usage and plastic surgery.
According to a new study published in Computers in Human Behaviour by researchers at the University of South Australia, women on dating apps are more likely to undergo cosmetic procedures and digitally alter their appearance than non-dating app users.
In fact, the university reported that “the emphasis on appearance, particularly with the swipe-based apps, plays a role in influencing 20% of women to change their looks via dermal fillers and anti-wrinkle injections in particular.”
“The visual nature of dating apps, which prioritize photo-based profiles, places significant pressure on users to present themselves in an idealized [manner] which is not genuine,” said Naomi Burkhardt, UniSA Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) graduate and provisional psychologist, who led the study.
Of the 308 Australian women aged 18 to 72, nearly half used a dating app within the past two years—and one in five said they had at least one cosmetic procedure. Dating app users also seemed to have more positive attitudes toward such procedures than those not using the apps.
Of course, women can—and should—be able to do whatever they want with their bodies without external judgment. However, the study does indicate a possible correlation between dating app usage and body dissatisfaction.
UniSA co-author Dr. John Mingoia, an online lecturer in psychology, said this research will hopefully “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.”
Some such interventions include developing dating app features that promote more authentic, less superficial connections.
“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,” added UniSA co-author Lauren Conboy.
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