Gaby
A team from Arizona State University has dedicated its latest research to marital satisfaction. The researchers focused on two categories of couples: those who found love through dating apps and those who met in the “real world.”
The impetus for this study was the fact that one-third of marriages now begin on dating apps. This method of finding a partner has become one of the most popular. However, the results of the study were not in its favor, as reported by the Daily Mail.
What the Researchers Discovered
The scientists aimed to understand how online and in-person dating affect future marital satisfaction. The study involved 923 married volunteers, all of whom were surveyed about their satisfaction with their marriage and its stability.
About half (49.3 percent) of the participants met their partners through apps like Grindr, Tinder, or Bumble, while 50.7 percent met offline, including at work, college, bars, or clubs.
Volunteers were asked to rate their level of satisfaction with their marriage by answering a series of questions. Key questions included: How well does your partner meet your needs? How satisfied are you with your marriage overall? Have you or your partner ever considered divorce?
The team noted that couples who met online were generally younger, had more dating experience, and were more likely to be in same-sex or interracial marriages. Participants from this group reported lower satisfaction with their marriage and its stability.
The reason behind these results remains somewhat unclear, noted Lizelle Sharabi, the lead author of the study. It’s possible that this trend is linked to the stigma surrounding online dating and the labels society has placed on it. Couples who used apps may be more vulnerable to stress, facing “higher levels of social marginalization,” and often experience judgment for being in interracial or same-sex marriages, or simply for having met their partner online, explained Lizelle Sharabi.
However, the researcher believes that a deep awareness of these societal barriers can help couples navigate towards a long-lasting, stable, and happy future together.
