Professor Brian Heaphy, Dr Jaime Garcia Iglesias and Dr Neta Yodovich from the Dating App Connections project have produced a series of free resources with the aim of supporting the healthy, safe, and fun use of dating apps. 

With as many as 1 in 10 people in the UK using dating apps, connecting with others online is part of everyday life. Over 900 LGBTQ+ and heterosexual dating app users took part in the Dating App Connections project. They said they used dating apps to find ‘the one’, to arrange hookups, for friendship, to make them feel less lonely, to pass the time or even for tourism tips. 

Lots of people who used apps to connect with others found them useful, but others were dissatisfied. Some people were dissatisfied because the apps didn’t help them achieve their aims and others experienced discrimination or abuse. 

This series of short videos shares insights from the project to help people get the most out of dating apps and avoid some of the common pitfalls. The videos are: 

• Why use dating apps? 
• Thinking about using dating apps? 
• How are dating apps changing our worlds? 
• Do’s and Don’ts on dating apps

The team have also produced a Guide to Using Dating Apps aimed at individuals using, or considering using, apps. It covers the advantages and disadvantages of using dating apps plus important considerations around ethics, security and privacy. 

The widespread use of dating apps has led public health and sexual health practitioners to use them as a way of sharing health messages with users, but this raises additional ethical concerns. Dating apps and health promotion: a guide for practitioners and organisations addresses these issues. 

The project is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).