ABSTRACT
COVID-19-related social lockdowns had profound consequences in all aspects of social life, yet technology's role in mediating relationships during lockdown has received little attention. Drawing on a survey of 565 young adults in the UK, we used mixed methods to explore (a) differences in technology use by people in serious romantic relationships (cohabiting vs. living apart together), casual relationships or single;and (b) how COVID-19 influenced long-term, serious relationships. For participants in a serious relationship, technology was used as a strategy to facilitate ongoing communication, enabling partners to achieve 'intimacy from afar'. Qualitative analysis revealed five reasons (more free time, navigating lockdown restrictions, greater boredom, desire for love and miscellaneous) for online dating profile usage changes. People in serious relationships perceived deeper intimate bonds, boundary issues, less physical intimacy, difficulty with lockdown separation and greater negative impact because of COVID-19. Limitations and implications are discussed.
ABSTRACT
This book is an innovative work that explores the concept of intimacy during the COVID-19 pandemic. It provides an overview of the online dating world and apps, the use of which gradually became common as the pandemic restricted people's interaction in the physical world. The author's extensive research conducted during the pandemic posits a comprehensive understanding of the individual's motivation to join a dating app and explores its varied aspects. The book explores the themes and elements of online dating and examines the users' motivation for joining a dating app, for seeking intimacy as well as for self-presentation on the app. It examines the underlying politics and role of infrastructure of dating apps and describes how gender, power and intimacy intersect to create new intimacy phenomena. The book also utilises the author's research to put forth the key concept of 'Jagged Love', which describes a user's cyclical relationship with dating apps during the pandemic, and the gap between a user's act to seek familiar romantic narratives and the app's inability to deliver against these ideas. It explores the differences between virtual and In Real Life (IRL) intimacy, the generation of gender and the emanation of stereotypical cultural ideals that the users sought through the apps. The book serves as an invaluable discussion on the pandemic's impact on modifying the definitions of romance and intimacy. It highlights the impact social factors can have on familiar concepts and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the definition of love and intimacy, making it fascinating for students, academics and professionals interested in relationships, digital media and gender. The book will also be useful in enhancing the comprehension of love and romance in the fields of social science. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
This study was about online dating experiences and stressors that millennial women have encountered during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as how they have coped and exhibited positive adaptations in this context. The researcher used a phenomenological approach to collect accounts from five women in their late 20s and 30s who have experienced personally significant stress in online dating, yet who have demonstrated relational resilience. The latter was reflected in successfully adapting their attitude and dating strategies, as well as feeling hopeful and positive in the context of online dating during the pandemic. Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was used to identify themes in the data related to four research questions. Themes related to changes in participants' online dating behaviors in response to the pandemic included Prioritizing, Reduced Opportunities, Intentionality in Communication, and Navigating Risk. Themes that emerged regarding the types of stressors experienced in online dating during the pandemic included Scarcity Mindset, Time and Energy Consuming, Uncertainty and Lack of Control, Lack of Trust, and Loneliness. Themes that indicated coping strategies used for managing online dating stress during the pandemic included Finding Elements Within One's Control, Using Dating Apps to Cope, Leaning into Hobbies and Social Support, Perspective-Taking, and Reflect and Recharge. Finally, themes reflecting positive adaptations and resilient qualities the participants drew upon in the face of online dating challenges during the pandemic included Leveraging Strengths, Empowerment and Self-Esteem, Finding the Positives, Personal Growth and Bouncing Forward, and "You Can't Win if You Don't Play." Interpretations and implications of the findings are discussed with attention to recommendations for enhancing relational resilience among millennial women who are online dating in this new pandemic era. Potential limitations of the study and recommendations for future research are considered. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to explore the underlying motivations behind downloading or reopening mobile dating applications (MDAs) during a global pandemic. Additional objectives of this study were to explore the lived experiences of heterosexual, cisgender women mobile dating application users, investigate how mobile dating has changed since March of 2020, and analyze research from dating before COVID-19 compared to dating during COVID-19. At the time of the study, there was little research that addressed the motivations of using MDAs during a pandemic, as well as the experiences of women who were navigating dating in a socially distant world. For these reasons, this study aimed to (1) analyze the motivations behind downloading MDAs during the COVID-19 pandemic, (2) explore the lived experiences of women who used MDAs during the COVID-19 pandemic, (3) investigate how mobile dating has changed since March 2020, and (4) compare pre-COVID-19 and current COVID-19 dating experiences. This study employed a qualitative method of phenomenology and investigated the lived experiences of eight women, 20 to 29 years old, who used mobile dating applications during COVID-19. The results of the coding process produced nine areas of focus, 22 major themes, and three minor themes. Furthermore, a discussion of implications for clinicians and mental health professionals working with individuals who have used MDAs were explored. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
Purpose: This paper adds to the growing body of research examining the impacts of COVID-19 physical distancing measures on the everyday lives of young people. It draws on theories of "digital intimacies" and "relationship maintenance" to argue that young people's reflections on COVID-19, physical distancing and online relationships expose larger gaps in sex, relationships and health education pedagogies. Design/methodology/approach: Five semi-structured online focus groups were conducted with Canadian adolescents aged 16-19 probing their experiences of dating and platonic relationships during COVID-19. Narrative thematic analysis methods were used to develop themes outlining how physical distancing measures have affected young people's relationship norms, expectations and values. Findings: COVID-19 physical distancing measures and school closures appeared to create the conditions for some young people to productively reflect on the labor involved in the maintenance of their relationships in relation to considerations of proximity, reciprocity and distance. This labor was particularly articulated by female participants, many of whom expressed that life disruptions caused by COVID-19 catalyzed learning about their own relationship needs, desires and boundaries. Research limitations/implications: Results from this research are not widely generalizable, as each participant had a unique experience with COVID-19 physical distancing measures, schooling and in-person contact. Due to anonymity measures implemented, participant narratives cannot be confidently associated with demographic surveys that hampered the ability to offer an intersectional analysis of participant experience. Originality/value: Discussions of relationship maintenance and digital intimacies elucidate the limitations of health education's tendency to construct adolescent relationships as existing along binaries of "healthy" and "unhealthy." Health education might benefit from more meaningful integration of these concepts. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
This dissertation explores queer individuals' participation within hookup culture, the goals and motivations of those taking part in queer hookup encounters, and the ways queer individuals make sense of their hookup experiences. I analyze data from 24 semi-structured qualitative in-person and online interviews to examine LGBTQ+-identified individuals' experiences with queer hookup encounters. This dissertation offers several major contributions to the scholarship of LGBTQ+ hookup experiences. First, I find that participants talk about three discrete levels of intimacy: noncommittal hookups, "catching feelings," and third, "real relationships" or emotional connections. Second, both men and women define hookups as noncommittal sexual encounters, but in practice many are worried about or have already caught feelings. Men and women were also similar in viewing LGBTQ+ hookups as distinct from heterosexual hookups. For example, most participants note that it is more difficult for them to find hookup partners on campus. Third, I also find gender differences among by LGBTQ+ participants. Most men did not talk about forging romantic relationship out of their hookups, whereas women are more likely to discuss moving from hookup encounters to relationships. Men also talk about their partners' physical aesthetics, whereas women are more likely to value an emotional connection and are less likely to discuss their partners' physical attributes. Finally, women are more likely to discuss difficulty in knowing how and when to initiate hookups with other women. The second part of this dissertation focuses on participants' experience with hookups during the COVID-19 pandemic. Few have yet to explore LGBTQ+ hookup culture through a pandemic-focused lens. I examine how the COVID-19 pandemic has restructured dating and hookup experiences among LGBTQ+-identified college students. I find that sexual minority college students have begun to shift the type of connections they make on dating and hookup apps. These connections are less centered on sexual encounters and now focus on building relationships online that may not lead to a hookup or sexual experience. These findings suggest that dating apps have become a way for individuals to form social connections as opposed to merely a vehicle for organizing hookup encounters. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
This study was about online dating experiences and stressors that millennial women have encountered during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as how they have coped and exhibited positive adaptations in this context. The researcher used a phenomenological approach to collect accounts from five women in their late 20s and 30s who have experienced personally significant stress in online dating, yet who have demonstrated relational resilience. The latter was reflected in successfully adapting their attitude and dating strategies, as well as feeling hopeful and positive in the context of online dating during the pandemic. Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was used to identify themes in the data related to four research questions. Themes related to changes in participants' online dating behaviors in response to the pandemic included Prioritizing, Reduced Opportunities, Intentionality in Communication, and Navigating Risk. Themes that emerged regarding the types of stressors experienced in online dating during the pandemic included Scarcity Mindset, Time and Energy Consuming, Uncertainty and Lack of Control, Lack of Trust, and Loneliness. Themes that indicated coping strategies used for managing online dating stress during the pandemic included Finding Elements Within One's Control, Using Dating Apps to Cope, Leaning into Hobbies and Social Support, Perspective-Taking, and Reflect and Recharge. Finally, themes reflecting positive adaptations and resilient qualities the participants drew upon in the face of online dating challenges during the pandemic included Leveraging Strengths, Empowerment and Self-Esteem, Finding the Positives, Personal Growth and Bouncing Forward, and "You Can't Win if You Don't Play." Interpretations and implications of the findings are discussed with attention to recommendations for enhancing relational resilience among millennial women who are online dating in this new pandemic era. Potential limitations of the study and recommendations for future research are considered. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
Usage of mobile dating apps has been a rising trend in recent times, including during the COVID-19 lockdown periods. One of the key concerns about the use of such apps is in the amount and types of user data collected (e.g., personal and sensitive information such as sexual orientation, and information about online activities such as intimate messages and browsing behaviors). Since it is relatively easy and inexpensive to setup a man-in-the-middle attack and intercept dating app communication, a natural question is then whether the communication is encrypted and/or how much 'useful' information an attacker can infer from the intercepted communication, for example using freely available tools. Seeking to answer this question, we focus on the Badoo dating applications for both Android and iOS mobile devices (i.e., app version 5.187.0 on iPphone 7 (iOS 14.2), and app version 5.198.1 on Moto G5 Plus (Android v7.0)). Specifically, we explain the types of information an individual could obtain using only a laptop and Wireshark, a freely available network capture tool.
ABSTRACT
This dissertation explores queer individuals' participation within hookup culture, the goals and motivations of those taking part in queer hookup encounters, and the ways queer individuals make sense of their hookup experiences. I analyze data from 24 semi-structured qualitative in-person and online interviews to examine LGBTQ+-identified individuals' experiences with queer hookup encounters. This dissertation offers several major contributions to the scholarship of LGBTQ+ hookup experiences. First, I find that participants talk about three discrete levels of intimacy: noncommittal hookups, "catching feelings," and third, "real relationships" or emotional connections. Second, both men and women define hookups as noncommittal sexual encounters, but in practice many are worried about or have already caught feelings. Men and women were also similar in viewing LGBTQ+ hookups as distinct from heterosexual hookups. For example, most participants note that it is more difficult for them to find hookup partners on campus. Third, I also find gender differences among by LGBTQ+ participants. Most men did not talk about forging romantic relationship out of their hookups, whereas women are more likely to discuss moving from hookup encounters to relationships. Men also talk about their partners' physical aesthetics, whereas women are more likely to value an emotional connection and are less likely to discuss their partners' physical attributes. Finally, women are more likely to discuss difficulty in knowing how and when to initiate hookups with other women. The second part of this dissertation focuses on participants' experience with hookups during the COVID-19 pandemic. Few have yet to explore LGBTQ+ hookup culture through a pandemic-focused lens. I examine how the COVID-19 pandemic has restructured dating and hookup experiences among LGBTQ+-identified college students. I find that sexual minority college students have begun to shift the type of connections they make on dating and hookup apps. These connections are less centered on sexual encounters and now focus on building relationships online that may not lead to a hookup or sexual experience. These findings suggest that dating apps have become a way for individuals to form social connections as opposed to merely a vehicle for organizing hookup encounters. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in economic hardship, psychological stress, anxiety, and depression in a significant proportion of the global population. However, the bidirectional effects of social isolation and pre-existing or developed psychological stress could inform sexual behaviors and affect digital dating outcomes. Additionally, it is unknown whether intimate behaviors and relationships have been equally affected across the genders during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study is to contrast the course of intimate relationships pre-and post-COVID-19, with a focus on diverse genders, digital dating, mental health, and behavior. A review of the dating landscape during COVID-19 is developed in this study, encompassing themes including diverse genders, sexual orientation, demographic characteristics, sexual behavior, the state of psychological wellbeing, and interactions with digital dating apps. The authors reviewed the trends and challenges of digital romance. Dating before and during the pandemic is explored, discussing how COVID-19 experiences may inform future romantic partnerships. Mobile dating applications saw a surge in downloads and usage across popular platforms, including Tinder (3 billion swipes in March 2020) and Ok Cupid (700% increase in dates), with the top 20 dating apps gaining 1.5 million daily users. Cross-sectionally, being younger, single, and having higher levels of stress was a predictor of higher dating-app usage during the COVID-19 lockdowns. Risky sexual behavior and having multiple sexual partners were reduced during social distancing as there was an increased worry of contracting the virus. Heightened incidents of domestic/intimate partner abuse have caught the headlines in several countries. COVID-19 during lockdown has also posed barriers to accessing support and help from sexual and mental health services. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Social Sciences (2076-0760) is the property of MDPI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)
ABSTRACT
The use of information systems has evolved from office-based activities to frequent daily use for many individuals. The information systems are now in the form of smart phones with the capacity to carry a variety of mobile applications. The mobile applications were used for social media, dating, shopping, banking, and many other social activities. With the overabundance of technology solutions to everyday activities comes information security risk and challenges for the users. The COVID-19 health pandemic accelerated the frequency and scale of daily technology use. This study followed an exploratory qualitative research design in the form of a literature review. The aim was to get an understanding of the extent to which the pandemic affected digitisation and the use of information systems in diverse social contexts and to identify the security issues to consider when using online platforms. Thereafter presenting these security considerations to raise awareness of personal safety and information security when living, learning, and loving online to minimise being a victim of online crimes. © 2021 IEEE.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: HIV disproportionately impacts Black men who have sex with men (MSM), and targeting the primary relationship (ie, couples) using mobile technology for health holds promise for HIV prevention. Web-based recruitment of MSM is commonly employed in HIV prevention and intervention research. However, little known about recruiting Black MSM couples on the internet in the United States. OBJECTIVE: This study describes the process of recruiting Black MSM couples over social networking and dating apps frequented by MSM. We describe the activities for recruiting, screening, and enrolling participants as part of a randomized trial employing a multipronged recruitment approach. METHODS: Black MSM in couples were recruited via three apps (ie, Jack'd, Adam4Adam, and Growlr) between May 2020 and March 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. Black MSM couples were eligible if one or both partners are Black, MSM, and living with HIV, and if both partners were 18 years or older, and have been together for at least 2 months in what they both consider a primary relationship (ie, one in which both partners reported feeling most committed to over any other partner or relationship). RESULTS: A total of 10 Black MSM couples (n=20) were enrolled via social networking apps. App recruitment activities were a combination of passive (eg, in-app advertisements) and active (eg, direct messaging of users) engagement. Recruitment approaches varied by the social networking app owing to differences in app features. A full-time recruiter experienced challenges such as bugs (ie, technical errors in computer program or system), navigating technical requirements specific to each app, and web-based harassment. CONCLUSIONS: Despite challenges, it was possible to recruit Black MSM couples virtually into research as part of a multipronged recruitment strategy. We identify tips for using web-based dating and other social networking apps as part of a recruitment strategy in future research with Black MSM couples.
ABSTRACT
Drawing from the terror management theory (TMT) and evolutionary perspectives of Life-History Strategy, a between-subject online experiment examined the interaction effects of pre-existing death anxiety, fear-inducing media content (coronavirus threat vs. gun violence threat vs. low threat mental disorder), and intrasexual competition for mates on online dating intentions and social distancing intentions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results indicate the interaction effects of participants' pre-experimental death anxiety and different types of fear-inducing media content on perceived fear and intention to use online dating websites/apps as well as the interaction effects of pre-experimental intrasexual competitiveness and fear-inducing media content on social distancing intention in the context of online dating. Theoretical contributions to the terror management literature and practical implications for the online dating industry are discussed.
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to explore the use of social media within the context of heterosexual Black teen girls' romantic partner selection processes. To better understand Black teen girls' experiences, five focus groups (N = 27; aged 14-18 years) were conducted over Zoom. An inductive thematic analysis revealed four major themes: (1) the use of different platforms to gather different types of information, (2) the rules of social media scouting, (3) detecting partner qualities through social media, and (4) exploring Black teen girls' experience with social media and dating. Participants in our study primarily used Instagram to understand a potential partner's true self, while Twitter was used to assess a potential partner's political leanings. Our participants shared numerous "rules" related to the partner-scouting process. Black teen girls in our study explained that photos index a potential partner's style and hygiene, while memes were used to gauge sense of humor compatibility. More specific to Black teen girls, across all focus groups, participants shared their experiences of racism and bias, such as being associated with Black stereotypes, cultural invalidation, and being accused of "acting White." Although teen girls of various racial and ethnic groups may use social media to vet romantic partners, findings reveal that Black teen girls navigate social media in a unique way, including being highly attuned to signs of bias. Our findings suggest that in the first few months of COVID-19 social distancing had little impact on our participant's practice of using social media to vet potential romantic partners.
ABSTRACT
With today's world revolving around online interaction, dating applications (apps) are a prime example of how people are able to discover and converse with others that may share similar interests or lifestyles, including during the recent COVID-19 lockdowns. To connect the users, geolocation is often utilized. However, with each new app comes the possibility of criminal exploitation. For example, while apps with geolocation feature are intended for users to provide personal information that drive their search to meet someone, that same information can be used by hackers or forensic analysts to gain access to personal data, albeit for different purposes. This paper examines the Happn dating app (versions 9.6.2, 9.7, and 9.8 for iOS devices, and versions 3.0.22 and 24.18.0 for Android devices), which geographically works differently compared to most notable dating apps by providing users with profiles of other users that might have passed by them or in the general radius of their location. Encompassing both iOS and Android devices along with eight varying user profiles with diverse backgrounds, this study aims to explore the potential for a malicious actor to uncover the personal information of another user by identifying artifacts that may pertain to sensitive user data.