New discovery about love is bad news for couples who met online

Many of us meet our significant others online, whether that's through dating apps or via social media - but it's not all it's cracked up to be...

That's right, new research has found that those who met their partner virtually report lower levels of marital satisfaction and experience love less intensely than those who meet in person.

So it might be time to swap the apps for IRL dates...

The findings were uncovered in a study led by Dr Marta Kowal from the University of Wrocław, with contributions from experts at the Australian National University (ANU) and Professor Craig Roberts, a Professor of Psychology at the University of Stirling.

How did this international team of researchers come to this conclusion?

They used nationally representative data from 50 countries collected by the Being Human Lab at the University of Wroclaw. Plus, around 646 individuals in relationships were examined on how they found their partners and how this impacted their relationship satisfaction.

iStockphoto by Getty Images

Out of all the couples they studied, 16 per cent of participants met their partners online on average, and among couples who initiated their romantic relationships after 2010 (a time when dating apps were beginning to emerge), this rose to 21 per cent.

Expert on the findings

“Our study addresses how the internet is changing the ways in which we find and meet partners, and what this could mean for relationship dynamics," said Professor Roberts.

“Key strengths are the size of our study and the fact that the sample is drawn from such a wide range of countries across the world.

“However, we must remember that the findings are correlational: they don't imply that relationships which began online are doomed to being unsatisfying, just as partners who meet in real life are not guaranteed to have a long-lasting relationship.

“But they do reveal interesting patterns which may tell us something about the likelihood of relationships succeeding when they begin in the digital space.”

Why could this be the case?

iStockphoto by Getty Images

Researchers reckon there are a number of factors which may have contributed to the findings in their study.

One of those is that couples who meet offline have similar characteristics, in comparison to those who meet online.

“Participants who met their partners online reported lower relationship satisfaction and intensity of experienced love, including intimacy, passion and commitment, compared to those who met offline,” study co-author and ANU PhD student Adam Bode explained.

“Similar social and educational backgrounds can positively influence relationship quality by fostering greater social support and acceptance, shared life experiences, and alignment in values and worldviews.

“The internet provides access to a seemingly limitless pool of potential partners, but while this abundance could help individuals find an ideal match, in practice, it often leads to choice overload.”

Although previous research indicated that those in rural areas sought out potential partners online due to their remote location, this new study doesn't find this to be the case.

“In our study, individuals from rural and urban areas were equally likely to meet their partners online,” Bode noted.

“Contrary to earlier findings, we also found no evidence that younger people were more inclined to meet partners online. This suggests that navigating online spaces has become accessible across age groups.”

Our changing relationship with online dating

It seems motivations for online dating have evolved with “swipe culture”, given the "immediate nature" of dating apps, which predominantly prioritise physical attractiveness.

Bode added: “While early users sought lifelong partners, modern users increasingly pursue casual relationships. This shift toward short-term, less committed relationships may, in turn, contribute to lower relationship quality.

“The other complication that occurs online is the risk of ignoring potential red flags that are more apparent in real-life interactions.

“Given that online dating continues to grow worldwide, our findings underscore the need to enhance support for improving relationship quality among all couples, particularly those who met their partners online.”

This research has been published in the journal Telematics and Informatics.

Elsewhere, Cost of living prompts Gen Z to take unconventional approach to dating, and ‘Tinder leave’ is now a thing – and yes, it gets you out of work.

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