While many users find it easy to connect with potential matches based on shared interests or physical attraction , concerns about dishonesty, unwanted messages, and harassment are prevalent. Younger women are particularly vulnerable to these negative experiences.
This unwanted non-consensual communication can be in the form of receiving explicit messages or being threatened. Single folks in therapy express shock and fear at having their boundaries crossed and at times repeatedly violated by people they meet via dating apps. According to a Forbes survey, one in five adults admitted to lying on their profiles in some capacity, which can contribute to a deepening pattern of anxious attachment by those daters who are lied to. The survey found that:. Survey respondents also reported spending on average over 50 minutes a day on these apps.
With actively dating clients, I conduct a deeper dive of somatic inquiry. Some daters spend their precious time and energy in swiping and trying to be clever or humorous in their communications only to discover that the person on the other side is not only lying about things like their height, but are in fact not even the person they are representing themselves to be also known as catfishing.
Catfishing can lead single daters to become so burnt out with the entire dating app process that they cancel all their registrations and take a long break. Along with catfishing, ghosting also impacts people in the online dating world, as it has become such a commonplace practice for dating app daters.
Additionally, breadcrumbing , or leading someone on with little effort and no intention of a real relationship, also has very negative mental health effects. A study by the NIH found that those who experienced breadcrumbing reported higher levels of loneliness, helplessness, and lower life satisfaction. Dating platforms have become easy places to treat real people transactionally, leading to many single folks to feel hopeless. I encourage clients to consider carving out more of their free time to engage in activities that provide self-care and nourishment like:.
