Tinder is often looked at as the No. 1 online dating app when it comes to hooking up — and, we should know, we recently wrote about a bunch of options for you to try out. That said, are people who are on Tinder really more successful in getting sex than those who aren’t using the dating app? You might be surprised with the results of a new sex study that answered that very question.
According to research done by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, those people who use Tinder aren’t necessarily scooping up more casual sex partners when compared to the people who aren’t on the online dating app. While Tinder users may be more open about having casual partners than those not on the apps, that doesn’t mean it always goes down that way, with Tinder users, generally, ending up with the same number of hookups and one-night stands.
A professor in NTNU’s Department of Psychology, Leif Edward Ottesen Kennair, went on to explain that, although online dating apps like Tinder can be perceived as a way to get more casual sex, in essence, those outlets are simply just alternative ways to meeting more people. In essence, it expands a person’s visibility outside of places like work, the gym or meeting people at bars and restaurants, with the success rate of sex no better than people not using those dating apps.
The full study, which was published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences, surveyed both the social media activity and sexual behavior of more than 600 students from ages 19-to-29. Of the participants, about 50 percent admitted that they were on an online dating app like Tinder at one point, and that the users were more open to casual sex than their counterparts who may be looking for a more committed relationship.
In addition to the above info, the study analyzed how men and women use online dating apps like Tinder differently — which probably isn’t much of a surprise to many.
According to the results of the study, girls are more likely to use Tinder to increase their confidence and feel better about themselves, looking for validation from guys. They also examine potential matches more than guys do.
This differs from how guys use Tinder, with men solely looking for sex on them, per the study. They’re also more prone to swiping on a potential match and making the first move, often inviting girls to a private setting — like their apartment.
That said, Ernst Olav Botnen, the first author of the study and a clinical psychologist, made sure to squash any preconceived notions that all guys use Tinder in this way.
“But it should be noted that the myth that men on dating apps are only looking for casual sex isn’t accurate. Men who use these apps also seek long-term partners, but to a lesser extent than short-term partners.”
Both guys and girls are using online dating apps like Tinder for various reasons — whether for casual sex, in pursuit of a committed relationship or for attention — but, overall, girls have more to lose than guys when it comes to hooking up. For that reason, it’s easy to understand why people on such apps aren’t any more likely to have sex than their nonuser counterparts.