In the past, people often met their true love at festivals, parties, or in the pub. Now, young people in particular are increasingly looking for partners using special social media apps. However, many users feel insecure about choosing a partner. This is the finding of a new study that surveyed social media users between the ages of 18 and 30. Women appear to be more affected by this than men.

The study authors speculate that the cause could be a combination of digital overload and the young age of the respondents. They presented the study this week at the conference of the “Society for Experimental Biology” in Prague. Thanks to the availability of dating apps, people today have more contact with potential partners than ever before. However, the opportunities to enhance or manipulate photos are also extensive – and often distort actual reality

“Human partner selection is a complex psychological process influenced by numerous social factors such as appearance, personality, and financial situation,” says Chayan Munshi, study author and researcher at the Indian Ethophilia Research Foundation. “Currently, this process is heavily influenced by social media, where users are constantly exposed to sexually stimulating or attractive content.” This alters young adults’ perception of reality and their way of thinking—and ultimately leads to uncertainty when selecting potential partners.

Perception of young people: Infinite pool of available partners

Munshi’s research group is investigating how the digitalization of society influences human behavior. For their studies, the researchers used special questionnaires and subsequently analyzed the results. They asked participants, for example, how they felt about choosing a partner and what criteria they used to make their decision.

Many young people feel that there is an infinite pool of available partners. This influences young people’s perceptions and their ability to form relationships. “For example, this makes many young people extremely impulsive,” says study author Munshi. “We are also observing a decline in personal social interactions.” This can also jeopardize existing relationships.

Everything indicates that relationships are becoming more transient. “We believe that the ‘pleasure index’ or ‘adrenaline rush’ of relationships is becoming increasingly more important for the younger generation than long-term stability,” says the researcher. Munshi even believes that “evolutionary mating strategies” could undergo lasting changes.