Swipe right to consent: How dating app usage by young adults contributes to sexual objectification and sexual consent miscommunication

Abstract

Although mobile dating applications (apps) are one of the most common ways for young adults in the United States to meet potential dating partners, online dating platforms have been inadequately examined in relation to young adults' offline sexual health practices. Grounded in objectification theory, this study explored how young adults' use of dating apps—and specifically whether their sexualized perceptions of and interactions with others—related to their ability to discuss sexual consent with sexual partners they met on those apps. We conducted an online survey of a national sample (N = 1045) of young adults in the U.S. on this topic. Results revealed that the more frequently participants used dating apps, the more they engaged in the sexual objectification of others on dating apps. Participants who were prone to sexually objectifying others on dating apps were also more likely to endorse ‘digital consent cues’ (the assumption that matching or exchanging DMs implies consent to sex) and reported greater difficulty discussing sexual consent with partners they met through such apps. The study yields insights into how dating apps and their technological affordances may alter or dimmish offline conversations about consent, making theoretical contributions and proposing solutions to foster the development of healthy and equitable sexual relationships.