Over 60 per cent of women believe men are only seeking casual flings on Tinder, but less than 30 per cent of men say that is true, a new report by the dating app says.
Tinder’s “The Green Flag” study surveyed 8,000 heterosexual men and women across Canada, the U.S, the U.K. and Australia, to determine how much men and women looking to date have in common, and the assumptions they have about each other.
The study revealed that dating has become more difficult for the majority of respondents (91 per cent for men and 94 per cent for women), but that the majority of both men (53 per cent) and women (68 per cent) are seeking a romantic relationship on Tinder.
The study also looks at the ways digitally native generations are seeking to build new relationships while battling online fatigue.
“We’re seeing the first generation born with full internet access come of age and figure out what it means to connect — there’s a yearning to get offline while still relying on apps for everything,” the study says.
Despite this new-age manner of dating, men and women are still making age-old assumptions about each other, according to the study.
“Men and women are misjudging each other’s intentions in stereotypical ways. Such stereotypes can be damaging to relationships. Staying curious and asking questions can help dig beyond the surface and lead to deeper connections.” Dr. Sara Konrath, a social psychologist at Indiana University, said in the study.
The study also described a phenomenon called the “assumption epidemic,” where both men and women respondents indicated that they often jump to conclusions about what the other person wants—and then construct narratives based on those unsubstantiated expectations.
But Tinder’s findings counteract their assumptions.
The survey says over half of men (53 per cent) want a romantic relationship but assumed fewer than 49 per cent of women were looking for the same thing. However, the results showed that the majority of women (68 per cent) said they were in fact looking for a romantic relationship as well.
The study also shows that surveyed men can get caught up in judgment stereotypes.
Male respondents said they often anticipate that women will focus on factors like height (34 per cent) or job title (31 per cent) when viewing their profiles.
“Physical traits and career positions help paint a picture of who someone is, but…these do not appear to be ‘make-or-breaks’ when it comes to who women want to date,” the study says.
The study also found a disconnect between “progressive values” and “traditional relationship norms,’ causing avoidable rifts in potential partnerships.
“Unlike earlier generations, women no longer rely on men to financially support them. Now, does that mean women want to pick up the first tab? Not necessarily,” the study explained.
However, the survey paints the chasm as an opportunity.
“These results present themselves as a disconnect over core values, but it’s not the values themselves—it’s the communication around them,” the study concluded.
The online survey of 8,000 single 18-34 year olds actively dating was commissioned on behalf of Tinder and conducted by market research company Opinium.
Data was collected between March 6-18, 2024 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.1 per cent (for a 95 per cent confidence level).
For the full study, click here.
