Exploring Older Adults' Perceptions and Experiences with Online Dating

TL;DR

This study explores older adults' perceptions of online dating, highlighting security concerns, design challenges, and suggesting improvements for safer, more inclusive platforms tailored to their needs.

Contribution

It provides new insights into older adults' online dating experiences and offers specific recommendations for enhancing platform safety and accessibility for this demographic.

Findings

Older adults face scams like catfishing and fraud.

Privacy concerns hinder platform engagement.

Design improvements can enhance inclusivity and safety.

Abstract

The rise of online dating apps has transformed how individuals connect and seek companionship, with an increase in usage among older adults. While these platforms offer opportunities for emotional support and social connection, they also present significant challenges, including a concerning trend of online dating scams targeting this demographic. To address these issues, we conducted a semi-structured interview focused on the online dating experiences of older adults (65+). Initially, we conducted a pre-screening survey, followed by focused semi-structured interviews with 11 of the selected older adults. Through this study, we investigate older adults' security and privacy concerns, the significance of design elements and accessibility, and identify areas needing improvement. Our findings reveal challenges such as deceptive practices, including catfishing and fraud, concerns over disclosing sensitive information, non-inclusive app design features, and the need for more informative visualization of match requests. We offer recommendations for enhanced identity verification, inclusive privacy controls by app developers, and increased digital literacy efforts to enable older adults to navigate these platforms safely and confidently.