Women increasingly using technology to find relationships, survey shows

Using technology such as dating apps to find relationships and sexual partners is becoming increasingly popular among women, new research has claimed.

According to a survey of more than 130,000 women globally who use female health app Clue, more than one in three British women (36%) said they had used an app to help find a partner.

The research also found that while 18% of British women have used an app to look for a long-term relationship, 10% have done so looking for a one-night stand and 14% for chatting and "sexting".

The survey was created in consultation with the US-based Kinsey Institute, which examines human sexuality and relationships.

The findings suggest that more than two-thirds (67%) of women globally have engaged in sexting, predominately through SMS messages, but 18 to 20 year-olds were found to be more likely to use messaging app Snapchat.

Dating apps such as Tinder, Bumble and Happn, alongside social media platforms, have become increasingly popular ways to meet new partners.

Research by TSB from early 2017 suggested that dating apps are now responsible for one in seven new relationships in the UK.

Amanda Gesselman, research scientist at the Kinsey Institute, said: "Technology is tightly interwoven with our daily lives, and we use it to connect with and manage many of the things that are most important to us.

"As our survey shows, this includes love and sex.

"A large number of people engage with technology not only to meet partners, but also to learn more about sex, to track their own sexual experiences, and to improve their sexual relationships."

Nineteen percent of those surveyed also said they used apps to learn more about sex and intimacy, while 40% of respondents said they had used an app to track their sexual history.

"While there are many reports on the consequences of technology on our private lives, these results relay a more positive story: that people are leaning on technology to help them create better experiences for themselves and their partners," Ms Gesselman said.

"By conducting research on the impact of technology on people's sexual relationships, we're beginning to better understand how these technologies are being used, what positive outcomes they may bring about, and how they might be improved."

Clue's chief executive and co-founder Ida Tin said: "Our report, based on responses from our extensive and amazingly engaged community, allows us to examine these behaviours, and see how they differ across cultures, sexual orientations, and age groups.

"I find it most compelling that while apps are so common in so many countries and cultures, technology doesn't yet dominate our sex lives and relationships. Instead, it's part of the whole picture."