Is online dating better than real life? Research reveals ‘swipe culture’ could be dooming your relationship

Turns out the couples who found love through a screen may not be feeling it quite as much as those who met the old-fashioned way.

The internet has fundamentally changed the way people meet and form romantic relationships with one another. An international study spanning 50 countries has found that people who meet romantic partners online report lower marital satisfaction and experience love less intensely than those whose relationships began face-to-face.

On average, participants who met their partners online reported lower relationship satisfaction and lower intensity of experienced love compared to those who met offline, with effect sizes ranging from small to medium.

Led by Dr Marta Kowal from the University of Wroclaw, with contributions from The Australian National University (ANU), researchers examined 6,646 people in relationships to see how “meet-cute” origins influenced long-term happiness.

This raises the question: Does the way a couple meets determine the quality and longevity of the relationship?

The study found that offline couples are more likely to be homogamous, sharing similar backgrounds, values and worldviews, factors linked to stronger relationships.

In a world that heavily relies on technology and social media to communicate, connect and share with people, many use online dating apps to meet people that they may not have crossed paths with otherwise.

“The internet provides access to a seemingly limitless pool of potential partners, but while this abundance could help individuals find an ideal match, in practice, it often leads to choice overload,” study co-author and ANU PhD student Adam Bode said reported in ScienceDirect.

Whilst some have great success meeting online through dating apps and social media, having access to a limitless pool of partners may be linked to why an individual is not satisfied.

“Participants who met their partners online reported lower relationship satisfaction and intensity of experienced love, including intimacy, passion and commitment, compared to those who met offline,” Mr Bode said.

And while earlier research suggested people in rural areas were more likely to date online, this study found no such divide nor any evidence that younger people are more inclined to find partners on apps.

“Navigating online spaces has become accessible across age groups,” Mr Bode said.

The researchers also note that motivations for online dating have shifted with “swipe culture”, where physical attraction can outweigh compatibility checks.

“While early users sought lifelong partners, modern users increasingly pursue casual relationships,” Mr Bode said.

“This shift toward short-term, less committed relationships may, in turn, contribute to lower relationship quality.”

Add in the ease of overlooking red flags in the digital realm, and the researchers say it’s little wonder the numbers skew lower.

Their verdict? If online dating is here to stay, the focus now needs to be on boosting relationship quality.