When our grandparents began dating, they could never have known that couples in the future would meet using applications on cellphones. Still, dating apps have become a common part of today’s dating landscape. The couples that meet on them, though, might have a shakier foundation than others. A new study has found that married couples who met through dating apps have a greater likelihood of divorce.
Dating apps and divorce: what to know
The Marriage Foundation and the polling organization Savanta ComRes recently conducted a poll of more than 2,000 adults over age 30. They then analyzed the responses to determine the divorce rates of couples who met on dating apps versus those who met in person as well as the influencing factors. According to the study’s findings:
- Two percent of couples who meet each other through family and friends divorce within the first three years. After seven years, the figure becomes 10%.
- Twelve percent of couples who meet each other through dating apps divorce within three years. After seven years, the figure increases to 17%.
The investigation did not assess the factors that contribute to these figures. The companies behind the poll proposed a hypothesis, though. They wonder whether couples who meet on dating apps lack an in-person support system to help them through their struggles.
Divorce and the dating-app generation
This does not mean that singles should avoid dating apps or that someone emerging from a recent divorce should avoid them, either. The percentages from the study might seem discouraging, but divorce rates have actually decreased overall in recent years. With that said, some couples – whether they meet through friends, a dating app or a cute romantic-comedy scenario – will end up calling their marriage quits.