A common perception is that users of dating apps are unhappy people who have trouble maintaining a stable monogamous relationship. A recently published study of 578 Australian males offers more nuance. Among straight men, non-users generally reported lower rates of depression, anxiety, stress, and eating disorders, and higher self-esteem; however, the same was not true for sexual minority non-users vs. users. On most measures of mental health, users of different types of dating apps did not differ significantly. Those with the poorest mental health measures were straight-identified men who accessed both mainstream (e.g. Tinder, Hinge) and gay-specific apps (e.g. Grindr, Scruff), perhaps due to sexual identity confusion and fear of exposure. In contrast, sexual minority men who used both mainstream and gay-specific apps were less anxious than those who used only one or the other, perhaps because those with bi-sexual inclinations found greater success in connection by utilizing more avenues for finding partners.
Mental Health Among Male Dating App Users
