The Great Divide on Vulnerability: Dating Applications vs. Reality

Many turn to technology for self-expression as they connect with others with the same values. Unfortunately, many people lose their self-expression skills in the non-digital world and communicate their intimate intents with others through dating applications like Hinge. However, dating apps (like the one mentioned) are scientifically proven to cause users psychological distress, anxiety, depression, or self-image issues. Though we cannot change people’s communicational customs, we can discover ways to close the gap between the digital and real-world when verbalizing intimate feelings. My method for collecting results includes taking a qualitative analysis through creating a survey that will decipher the proper candidates for interviewing. The interview seeks to answer how candidates present themselves on dating sites compared to the real world and the motivation behind using dating applications. The goal is to see the differences between intimate expression in an online and real-world setting and find solutions to integrate this expression in real life. The data collection is in progress because of the current approval on an IRB request to conduct surveys and interviews. However, future results could show that most individuals use dating applications to find an exclusive dating partner or casual coitus to avoid rejection. Keywords: real world, self-expression, dating applications, digital world, intimat