Men vs Women: Who uses dating apps the most? Study reveals motive behind the swipes

A study revealed dating app behaviours among middle-aged men and women, showing that men are less likely to pursue genuine connections.

Dating apps are ubiquitous in this digital-first world and have significantly changed the way people meet and interact. A mere swiping system, boosted with algorithms, dictates the matches. But ever wondered who uses these apps the most and for what reasons? Both men and women use, but are there any gender-based differences?

Men use dating apps more than women.(Shutterstock)

A study published in the International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology found that middle-aged men are among the most active users, even more than women. Let's understand what more the study has to say.

Middle-aged men are the active users

The researchers conducted experiments on 298 participants aged 25 to 50. They were given questionnaires to assess their dating app behaviours, including time spent, purposes for using the app, and more. One of the most interesting findings was that men use dating apps more than women and for longer periods. Men also had a much longer overall history of dating app usage.

Motive is casual sex

It all boils down to casual sex for men.(Pexels)

Everyone has a reason for what they do, and the same applies to seemingly innocuous acts like downloading a dating app. Some download it in search of something serious, like a long-term relationship, or maybe just to make friends and so on. Downloading a dating app is not a random, impromptu behaviour, there's always a motive.

Men, who spent the most time on dating apps according to the study's findings, are primarily driven by the motive of casual sex.

These imply mostly short-term flings with the no-strings-attached type approach in relationships. They don't seek meaningful connections like women would.