Currently the UN estimates that slightly under 50% of the global population is female, the ratio of males to females has been skewing in favor of males being more numerous for several decades now, but it is by tenths of percents.
Now, where you live specifically can influence the ratio, sometimes significantly, especially when we get to the local or immediate reasonable proximity for meeting someone in day to day affairs.
That said, there are certain issues like calculating what percentage of males or females are single, in a given age range, of compatible sexual and gender preferences and identities- and that’s before we get to more individual aspects of compatibility.
That said- this abstract doesn’t give us the relevant details. What is considered a “dating app?” For example- does that percent of app users who are males ONLY factor in heterosexual exclusive apps? Obviously most heterosexual mens ofds of finding a partner on Grindr are slim, but what about other apps which may
have make users who are both heterosexual and homosexual on the same service? Conversely- does the percentage of men to women users factor in women who do not date heterosexual men? Given the opening concept of the thing, these seem relevant to the issue. We can ASSUME these things are factored in- but assumption is the mother of all F-ups. There are quite a few other relevant factors as well. Of those numbers we have no idea how many men or women are seeking or open to serious relationships or other types of interactions. Some dating apps have special statuses for those only looking for friends or companionship for example. Again, if some percentage of women are in those categories that works towards the statement, but if a larger percentage of men are in those categories it changes things to favor men looking for relationships. If a disproportionate number of men on these apps just want to have sexual encounters with diverse strangers, that also impacts the odds for a man on an app
A good point I think brought up is single men are single since they not only have to compete with each other, but the older generation behind them. Older men who are more stable in life are more attractive partners, permanent or temporary, by far than a guy who's still in school/college and haven't settled into a career or other method of life that stabilizes them and their future.
I also find it laughable that a dating app would enable or foster "healthy" skills for relationships, or that you should expect such behavior from people using the app.
I think that first point is highly debatable.
The first issue being that “single men” in competition with each other would include single men of all ages- but that might be just a phrasing issue and you meant “young, single men”? Regardless of that point, not all women like older men, or men who are significantly older- and vice versa for men and younger women as far as looking for stable long term partners. Speaking of- not all younger women- in fact a good number of younger women- aren’t looking for stable long term partners and don’t find reliability or financial security particularly attractive because they are more interested in excitement. Wealth CAN be used for excitement- flashy trips and nice things- but that’s not the exclusive preview or even the primary disposition of most older and financially stable men- to spend money on parties and flash. So that one comes down to the individuals involved. What’s more again- a younger women looking for a stable long term partner…
.. may not be attracted to older men and instead might value a younger man who had a certain “trajectory.” That is to say that many men and women prefer to “build” and “grow” with their partners and are looking for someone who shows “potential,” someone worried about security or example might not overlook a young student with a promising major or a well ran start up business because they see that person is potentially on track to being secure. An important factor to remember with age differences is that while it isn’t ALWAYS the case, age gaps can be a challenge or even insurmountable. There can be advantages like learned skills and experiences, life stability, confidence, etc. but there can be challenges that come from the potential gaps in these things or other issues of relating or lifestyle and interests etc.
To the second point- I can’t debate that I’ve never heard of a dating app that acted as some sort of “training aid” for dating. I suppose someone COULD make some sort of app intended to foster “good dating habits” but as far as I know, dating apps are for meeting people. Ideally if one chooses the right app and everyone is honest- people looking for similar types of relationships. I suppose as a portal- what people do before or after has nothing to do with the portal. Downloading a chat app won’t foster eloquence either- results depend on how it is used by the relevant parties.
I don’t know that I can blame apps for enabling dishonest or horrible people to be themselves in different ways or easier. I can also say that I don’t subscribe to the stigma of dating apps. I suppose some depends on your area, the app, your demographics and tastes, but as a portal, dating apps expose us to people in ways few other means do. One can view and attempt to connect with potentially hundreds of…
.. people or more a day on these apps, a feat that most people don’t achieve or don’t achieve with regularity in real life or through other means. So statistically speaking, your odds of meeting some less than agreeable folks are pretty high since many people don’t have the sort of connection rates or attempts rates in real life as they do online.
Is there some sociological impact of dating apps? Surely so. Just as people and society are influenced by social media. Are all those potential matches possibly desensitizing? I think so. I think online dating tends to make people “pickier” because of the seeming vastness of choice readily available, and the disconnected nature can make it easier for people to dissociate and think of the person on the other end as less a person and perhaps even a commodity. There’s certainly some “gamifying” that occurs- but we can’t say that there aren’t games and strategy and such in other types of dating.
The. There’s a simple values question- of course we have the urge to procreate and mate, most of us anyway- but we have many instincts that we’ve mitigated or learned to deal with because of constraints of society or other factors. So does it even matter? Many articles have been written on how increasingly, women, especially younger women, are putting off dating altogether or taking a different lower priority approach to dating and focusing on careers and other aspects of their lives. A desire to focus on one’s self and not feel or be accountable as many relationships require for things like coordinating schedules and budgets and goals. One has to ask if traditional societal pressures on men to mate or to judge men by their status as able to be successful in mating and/or providing aren’t in part to blame for the unhappiness felt by so many men who are hyper focused on relationships.
One can say that a fundamental aspect of “healthy” dating and relationships is being happy in your own life and with your own self. A relationship that seeks to fill a hole is often not on healthy ground. Loneliness can be handled with friends. Our cultural ideas on masculinity largely preclude much physical or intimate contact between “heterosexual men,” but a valid question is why? Why would it be “odd” or “wrong” for two male friends to cuddle etc when they felt deprived of contact? Most people are capable of satisfying their sexual desires on their own as well, so there are a lot of factors to suggest cultural reasons for the unhappiness of many single men.
These factors go far beyond and outside dating apps which are largely in my view a reaction to fill a gap created by a culture that puts so much emphasis on partnership as a form of accomplishment or completeness.
It makes sense that if people are going to seek- often desperately and blindly, someone to fill whatever need it is that they cannot or did not think to fill through other means, that someone would either for profit or genuine desire to help, provide some means to hopefully facilitate those desires. In the end, whatever means we use for dating or pair bonding etc, it ultimately comes down to the individuals involved. Where they are in life, what they want, what they are attracted to, what interest they have and whatever other values and particulars of life. The ability and/or desire to fit into each other’s lives and enjoy each other’s company or be enriched by each other are some fairly universal pillars in healthy and successful long term relationships. How you meet that person isn’t terribly relevant in abstract.
Now, where you live specifically can influence the ratio, sometimes significantly, especially when we get to the local or immediate reasonable proximity for meeting someone in day to day affairs.
That said, there are certain issues like calculating what percentage of males or females are single, in a given age range, of compatible sexual and gender preferences and identities- and that’s before we get to more individual aspects of compatibility.
That said- this abstract doesn’t give us the relevant details. What is considered a “dating app?” For example- does that percent of app users who are males ONLY factor in heterosexual exclusive apps? Obviously most heterosexual mens ofds of finding a partner on Grindr are slim, but what about other apps which may
The first issue being that “single men” in competition with each other would include single men of all ages- but that might be just a phrasing issue and you meant “young, single men”? Regardless of that point, not all women like older men, or men who are significantly older- and vice versa for men and younger women as far as looking for stable long term partners. Speaking of- not all younger women- in fact a good number of younger women- aren’t looking for stable long term partners and don’t find reliability or financial security particularly attractive because they are more interested in excitement. Wealth CAN be used for excitement- flashy trips and nice things- but that’s not the exclusive preview or even the primary disposition of most older and financially stable men- to spend money on parties and flash. So that one comes down to the individuals involved. What’s more again- a younger women looking for a stable long term partner…
I don’t know that I can blame apps for enabling dishonest or horrible people to be themselves in different ways or easier. I can also say that I don’t subscribe to the stigma of dating apps. I suppose some depends on your area, the app, your demographics and tastes, but as a portal, dating apps expose us to people in ways few other means do. One can view and attempt to connect with potentially hundreds of…
Is there some sociological impact of dating apps? Surely so. Just as people and society are influenced by social media. Are all those potential matches possibly desensitizing? I think so. I think online dating tends to make people “pickier” because of the seeming vastness of choice readily available, and the disconnected nature can make it easier for people to dissociate and think of the person on the other end as less a person and perhaps even a commodity. There’s certainly some “gamifying” that occurs- but we can’t say that there aren’t games and strategy and such in other types of dating.
These factors go far beyond and outside dating apps which are largely in my view a reaction to fill a gap created by a culture that puts so much emphasis on partnership as a form of accomplishment or completeness.