We hear about the "hookup culture" and "dating apocalypse" all the time, but how do singles really date today? Since 2013, the use of dating sites and apps has nearly tripled among young Millennials, according to Pew Research Center. Sure, we know what dating app habits are common among our friends, but what about everyone else's? As more and more dating apps launch, and popular ones roll out new features designed to get us more matches, how we navigate these platforms is constantly changing. That's why Bustle teamed up with Happn, the dating app that connects you with people you've crossed paths with in real life, to learn more about dating app users.
Between June 2-June 27, we surveyed 1,100 Happn users (383 female and 712 male) in their 20s and 30s and asked them everything from when they're using their dating apps and who's making the first move to how many people they've met up with IRL.
There's no denying dating app users are an active bunch. Not only did we find that users are on their apps daily (50 percent of men and 37 percent of women), many said they are on Happn and other dating apps all throughout the day. So if you ever thought you couldn't set up a date while you're in line at Trader Joe's during your lunch break at work, you were so wrong. Dream big.
And true to the on-demand culture we live in, dating app users want to meet up with their matches ASAP, which is great news if you're worried too much back and forth between an online match. Thirty-nine percent of women and 41 percent of men actually don't want to wait at all before meeting IRL so they can see if there's chemistry.
But perhaps my biggest question was what are people really looking for on their apps? Happn, along with many other dating apps, leaves it open to the users to decide. "Our mission is to facilitate real life meetings," Happn CEO Didier Rappaport tells Bustle. "We have never promised people will find love on Happn because we believe people are free to do what they want. The most important thing is for people to meet, and then if they want to find love, have sex, have friends, it's up to them."
Despite the widespread assumption that dating apps are reinforcing the "hookup culture," we found that most singles in their 20s and 30s are actually looking for relationships. Women are more interested in finding a relationship (72 percent) versus men (56 percent), though more men (28 percent) want a date than women (14 percent).
So what else did we learn about dating app behavior from our survey? Take a look at these charts and graphs below:
1. Men And Women Are Looking For Love
2. Dating App Users Talk To 2-3 At Once
3. Face Shots, Body Shots, Or Selfies?
4. Women Aren't Making The First Move
5. Dating App Users Still Date Offline
6. How Singles Really Use Happn
Images: Claire Joines
