Dating app use and depression symptoms in adolescents

Objectives: The popularity of dating apps has grown significantly among younger demographics. Despite evidence on the relationship between online dating and mental health in adults, little research exists on underage online dating app use in adolescents. This study examines the association between dating app use and depression symptoms in a U.S. sample of 13–16-year-old adolescents. Results: We examined cross-sectional data from Year 5 (2021–2023) of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study (N = 11,530). Multivariable linear regression analyses using cluster-robust (heteroskedasticity-consistent) standard errors were used to estimate the association between dating app use and depression symptoms, adjusting for potential confounders including sociodemographic factors (age, sex, race/ethnicity, household income, parent education) and study site. In this demographically diverse sample of adolescents (47.9% female, 47.3% racial and ethnic minority), 0.9% reported ever using a dating app. Dating app use was associated with higher depression symptoms (standardized beta coefficient [ß] 0.42; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.08–0.76; p = 0.017) in adjusted models. This association may be due to victimization and unsafe online activities. Future prospective and mechanistic studies are needed to better understand the link between underage dating app use and depression symptoms.