Dating app use and depression symptoms in adolescents

TL;DR

This study finds that dating app use among U.S. adolescents aged 13–16 is linked to higher depression symptoms, possibly due to online victimization and unsafe activities.

Contribution

The study is the first to examine the association between dating app use and depression symptoms in a large, diverse sample of U.S. adolescents.

Findings

0.9% of adolescents in the study reported ever using a dating app.

Dating app use was associated with higher depression symptoms (ß 0.42; 95% CI 0.08–0.76; p = 0.017).

The link may be explained by victimization and unsafe online activities.

Abstract

The popularity of dating apps has grown significantly among younger demographics. Despite evidence on the relationship between online dating and mental health in adults, little research exists on underage online dating app use in adolescents. This study examines the association between dating app use and depression symptoms in a U.S. sample of 13–16-year-old adolescents.

We examined cross-sectional data from Year 5 (2021–2023) of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study (N = 11,530). Multivariable linear regression analyses using cluster-robust (heteroskedasticity-consistent) standard errors were used to estimate the association between dating app use and depression symptoms, adjusting for potential confounders including sociodemographic factors (age, sex, race/ethnicity, household income, parent education) and study site. In this demographically diverse sample of adolescents (47.9% female, 47.3% racial and ethnic minority), 0.9% reported ever using a dating app. Dating app use was associated with higher depression symptoms (standardized beta coefficient [ß] 0.42; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.08–0.76; p = 0.017) in adjusted models. This association may be due to victimization and unsafe online activities. Future prospective and mechanistic studies are needed to better understand the link between underage dating app use and depression symptoms.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13104-026-07641-9.