Who Visits Online Dating Sites? Exploring Some Characteristics of Online Daters
Abstract
Although online dating has become an important strategy in finding a romantic partner, academic research into the antecedents of online dating is still scarce. The aim of this study was to investigate (a) the demographic predictors of online dating and (b) the validity of two opposite hypotheses that explain users' tendency to use the Internet for online dating: the social compensation and the rich-get-richer hypotheses. We presented 367 single Dutch Internet users between 18 and 60 years old with an online questionnaire. We found that online dating was unrelated to income and educational level. Respondents between 30 and 50 years old were the most active online daters. In support of the rich-get-richer hypothesis, people low in dating anxiety were more active online daters than people high in dating anxiety.
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Apart from increased control of self-presentation, users of online dating sites also have access to a considerable number of potential dating partners, regardless of their proximity to each other.
“Apart from increased control of self-presentation, users of online dating sites also have access to a considerable number of potential dating partners (Finkel et al., 2012; Heino et al., 2010), regardless of their proximity to each other (Valkenburg & Peter, 2007).”
From Mobile Sexuality: Presentations of Young Filipinos in Dating Apps (2020) · cites this paper as Valkenburg & Peter, 2007
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Internet paradox: A social technology that reduces social involvement and psychological well-being?
Kraut, R., Patterson, M., Lundmark, V., Kiesler, S., Mukophadhyay, T., & Scherlis, W. (1998) · American Psychologist · doi:10.1037/0003-066x.53.9.1017 · Cited by 4,793 · see citing works
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Exploring short-form video application addiction: socio-technical and attachment perspectives
Zhang, X., Wu, Y., & Liu, S. (2019) · Telematics and Informatics · doi:10.1016/j.tele.2019.101243 · Cited by 469 · see citing works
Demircioğlu, Z. I., & Göncü Köse, A. (2021) · Current Psychology · doi:10.1007/s12144-018-9956-x · Cited by 128 · see citing works
Interactive Uncertainty Reduction Strategies and Verbal Affection in Computer-Mediated Communication
Antheunis, M. L., Schouten, A. P., Valkenburg, P. M., & Peter, J. (2012) · Communication Research · doi:10.1177/0093650211410420 · Cited by 103 · see citing works
Self-citationThe Role Of Love Stories In Romance Scams: A Qualitative Analysis Of Fraudulent Profiles
Kopp, C., Layton, R., Sillitoe, J., & Gondal, I. (2016) · Zenodo · doi:10.5281/zenodo.56227 · Cited by 42 · see citing works
Mobile Sexuality: Presentations of Young Filipinos in Dating Apps
Labor, J. (2020) · Plaridel · doi:10.52518/2020.17.1-09labor · Cited by 21 · see citing works
El-Asam, A., Lane, R., & Katz, A. (2022) · Frontiers in Education · doi:10.3389/feduc.2022.772051 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
- Authors
- Valkenburg, P. M., & Peter, J.
- Affiliations
- University of Amsterdam (NL)
- Venue
- CyberPsychology & Behavior
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2007-12
- Volume
- 10
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 849-852
- ISSN
- 1094-9313 (ISSN-L)
- 1557-8364
- OpenAlex
- W1970843771
- Cited by
- 195
- References
- 1
- Citations by year
- 2026: 10 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 17 · 2021: 13 · 2020: 19 · 2019: 21 · 2018: 16 · 2017: 12 · 2016: 16 · 2015: 9 · 2014: 7 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 5
- FWCI
- 5.96
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- CyberPsychology & Behavior (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- UvA-DARE (University of Amsterdam) (publishedVersion)
- Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Impact of Technology on Adolescents
- Social Sciences › Demography › Technology Use by Older Adults
- Keywords
- online dating, demographic predictors, dating anxiety, single people, age differences, education and income
- MeSH terms
- Adaptation, Psychological, Adolescent, Adult, Anxiety, Courtship, Demography, Female, Humans, Interpersonal Relations, Male, Middle Aged, Reference Values, Regression Analysis, Sex Factors, Social Behavior, Internet
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