While it’s intuitive to suppose that relationships facilitated by dating apps would expand an individual’s social circle and introduce them to potential partners outside of their usual social sphere, a recent study suggests this assumption may not hold true in reality.
The prevailing notion suggests that online relationships may have far-reaching detrimental effects on society at large, with the potential to hinder social mobility altogether.
The prospect of seeking out a compatible partner through a website or mobile application should significantly improve relationship outcomes by exponentially increasing the pool of potential matches, thereby enabling users to filter and select based on criteria ranging from age to shared interests.
Contrary to popular belief, research conducted over a six-decade period from 1960 to 2021 has revealed that this notion is not accurate.
As online dating has become increasingly prevalent, it’s reasonable to expect that people would have an easier time finding compatible partners, thanks to the reduced search costs made possible by advancements in matchmaking algorithms. The findings surprisingly reveal a stark contrast to these predicted outcomes.
The paper’s authors surprisingly found that information overload effectively erases any potential benefits.
Here is the rewritten text:
Since 1960, we have observed no discernible decrease in search prices nor any notable improvement in selectivity. We posit that efficient search prices serve as a proxy for individuals’ cognitive abilities to process and assimilate information, thereby influencing their proficiency in navigating the marriage market. Despite advances in technology promising easier information processing, humans’ capacity to process information appears unchanged, with no discernible enhancements in efficiency or selectivity.
Notes that relationship apps may potentially exacerbate societal harm by fuelling rising income inequality. This suggests that prioritizing education in search filters may now increasingly link high-income individuals with one another through marriage.
The marital choices of individuals have a profound impact on family income. The analysis reveals that educational attainment and skills are the primary factors driving inequality in the selection of a future partner.
According to the study, the proliferation of online platforms for finding potential partners has resulted in a three-percentage-point increase in the Gini coefficient, a widely accepted metric for measuring income inequality.
