Should Teens Be on Dating Apps? Probably Not, and Here’s Why

Published: July 30, 2025

jonas-leupe-wK-elt11pF0-unsplash — Photo by Jonas Leupe on Unsplash

By Mallory Mattingly

While many people use dating apps to connect with possible romantic partners, should teens be on them? We think the answer is no, and here’s why.

A study published in the Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical Science found that “Thirty-five (23.5%) adolescents used dating apps.”

And, while dating app use didn’t result in major changes to participants’ mental health, the study found that those who “used dating apps frequently were more likely to have symptoms of major depressive disorders,” per CNN.

“This study showed some support for dating app users having greater depressive symptoms and greater engagement in risky behaviors,” Lilian Li, a postdoctoral fellow in the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, said.

Registered sex offenders also lurk on these apps, putting teens at a greater risk of being targeted by bad actors. Predators can target teens through catfishing, a means of manipulating a user “into an emotional relationship with someone using an assumed identity.”

“That creates the opportunity for the other person to convince the teen to share an intimate image, which can then be used for financial extortion or to pressure the victim into further exploitation,” CNN said.

If teens decide to meet with someone they met online, their physical safety could be in jeopardy.

Match Group, the parent company behind Tinder, says that “Minors are not permitted on our dating apps, full stop.”

“Our platforms are for adults 18 and older, and we deploy industry-leading technology and human oversight to keep underage users off them,” a spokesperson for the company explained. “Our brands deploy sophisticated safety tools, including AI-powered age verification, ID verification, and device blocking, as well as human moderators to proactively detect and remove minors and bad actors.”

“We work with longstanding partners like THORN to enhance safety measures and, this year, supported the founding of ROOST, a nonprofit focused on building scalable tools for child safety. We continue to invest in cutting-edge tools, technology, and partnerships to help ensure our platforms remain safe for the communities we serve,” they added.

Aside from the dangers posed to teens physical and emotional wellbeing, dating apps also put young people’s focus on the wrong things when it comes to relationships.

“So, a lot of the apps that we’ve talked about are very superficial, like you’re swiping right or left, or it’s on the superficial stuff,” Dr. Melissa Westendorf from the Technology Wellness Center told TMJ4 News. “Adults, I think, can go to those apps that are trying to match you based on interest. So you have this superficiality that kids are going through, which is a difficult time right now going through high school…’How do I look?’ and ‘How do other people perceive me?’ So, I think it can set up some people for some problems.”