Are you a serial swiper?

Well, you’re not the only one.

Research has found that nine in 10 singles (90%) are ‘addicted’ to dating apps, and more than half (55%) of singles think they spend too long swiping.

And how long are we swiping every day? The survey, by eHarmony, found that the average person is logging in for 55 minutes each day, and has six different conversations on the go at a time.

However, seven in 10 (70%) believe their heavy app usage has a negative impact on their mental health. 

Cyber-psychologist Dr Martin Graff said: ‘As technology has become ever more prevalent in our lives we’re seeing a new type of internet addiction in the form of dating apps – with users often unaware that they are addicted to them.

‘What concerns me is the impact this is then having on their mental health.’

The survey, which had 1,001 respondents, also found that close to half (44%) of singles said they’re feeling ‘not good enough’ for the people they ‘like’ on apps, and two-fifths (39%) have felt unwanted.

Thus, a third (33%) reported feeling depressed because of their app usage, a fifth (20%) say they feel more stressed and a sixth (16%) report more anxiety.

Of course, dating apps aren’t inherently bad, but the key – as with so many things – is moderation.

So what can you do if you feel like your dating app usage is getting out of hand?

Don’t be afraid to go gold turkey for a while and have a dating app detox for however long you think you need.

Remember, the apps will still be there when you get back. What’s important is being in the right frame of mind to use them.

To those who don’t think they need to take a full-scale break from online dating, Dr Martin said: ‘There are some really simple things people can do when it comes to online dating to manage this better, such as monitoring how much time you’re spending on dating apps, when you use them, and being mindful of how many people you’re speaking to at any one time.’

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