Burnt out and still single: Susceptibility to dating app burnout over time

Abstract

Despite the ubiquity of dating apps, there is little longitudinal research examining the mental health and well-being of dating app users. To fill this void, this study takes a social compensation approach to exploring dating app users’ burnout experiences (i.e., emotional exhaustion, inefficacy, and depersonalization) over time. Four hundred ninety-three active single dating app users were surveyed over four waves across 12 weeks, with a final sample of 190. Multilevel growth curve models showed that dating app users experienced increased emotional exhaustion and inefficacy over time. Furthermore, depression, anxiety, and loneliness predicted more emotional exhaustion and inefficacy, while problematic dating app use predicted more emotional exhaustion and less inefficacy. The results suggest that dating apps may exacerbate existing difficulties with relationship initiation among vulnerable users by increasing their risk of burnout. Dating app burnout is a potential intervention target to improve users’ dating success.