Looking for love online? Study shows mixed bag

— Whether looking for love or a casual encounter,

3 in 10 U.S. adults say they have used a dating site or app — with mixed experiences, according to a Pew Research Center study out Thursday. For the under-35 set, more than half have tried it.

The overall number, which amounts to 30%, is unchanged since 2019, the last time the centre took a broad look at online dating. In 2015, 15% of U.S. adults said they had used a dating site or app, said lead researcher Colleen McClain.

“When we talk to users who have been on the sites recently, we see that there is really a mix of emotions,” she said.

Among the study’s key takeaways for McClain: 1 in 10 adults who have a partner said they met their current significant other on a dating site or app. The number rises to 1 in 5 for those under 30.

Using dating sites and apps is most popular among adults under 30, Pew reported, with 53% saying they have done it. That compares with 37% of those ages 30 to 49; 20% of those 50 to 64; and 13% of those 65 and older.

Atlanta firefighter Andy Giron, 33, is among the pleasantly surprised. He said he had always considered digital dating “a little weird” until recently.

Giron had just gotten out of a long-term relationship in 2019 when he decided to give Tinder a try for some casual dating. That didn’t work out after a couple of times but he hit gold on Hinge a short time later.

“My wife was my first date on Hinge,” he said. “She was so easy to talk to and we had a lot in common. There was an immediate connection when we first met in person.”

The two married six months later, soon after the COVID-19 pandemic hit. They now have a year-old daughter. Giron was inspired to turn to online dating by his sister, who found her spouse the same way.

Across age groups, 51% of lesbian, gay and bisexual adults have used a dating site or app.

Men are more likely than women to report positive experiences in digital dating, 57% vs. 48%, and LGB users are more likely than straight users to say the same, 61% vs. 53%. White or Black adults who have used one of the platforms are more likely than Hispanic users to say their experiences have been negative.

The number of men who have used dating sites or apps in the past year and said having casual sex was a major reason was 18 percentage points greater than female users who said the same.

The Pew research is based on a poll of about 6,000 U.S. adults taken from July 5-17 last year.