Beyond the Swipe: Understanding Observers’ Perceptions of the Motivations and Behaviors of Online Dating Users
Document Types
Paper Presentation
School Name
De La Salle University, Manila
Track or Strand
Humanities and Social Science (HUMSS)
Research Advisor (Last Name, First Name, Middle Initial)
Astudillo, Ma. Liezl R.
Start Date
23-6-2025 1:30 PM
End Date
23-6-2025 3:00 PM
Zoom Link/ Room Assignment
Y503
Abstract/Executive Summary
This study explores how observers—individuals who observe but do not engage in online dating—perceive the motivations and behaviors of dating app users. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), it captures how observers construct meaning around online relationships within the Philippine cultural context. Interviews with young adults elicited that observers generally perceive online dating as convenience-driven and less genuine than conventional relationships. Notably, participants compared app-based connections to culturally established rituals such as panliligaw, linking the former with less effort, fleeting intentions, and weaker commitment. Media depiction and secondhand accounts also figured in such perceptions, tending to reinforce stigmas of superficiality or emotional deficiency. While observers acknowledged multiple user motivations, they were more likely to question the authenticity and depth of online relationships. These results reveal a disconnect between the lived experiences of digital dating and observers' perceptions, mirroring wider cultural tensions between modern and traditional relationship values. The research opens new paths in the social narratives of online romance and calls for bridging perception gaps through open discussion and future research.
Keywords
online dating; non-users; observers; perceptions of motivations; perceptions of behaviors
Research Theme (for Paper Presentation and Poster Presentation submissions only)
Living Culture and Contemporary Societies (LCS)
Initial Consent for Publication
yes
Statement of Originality
yes
Beyond the Swipe: Understanding Observers’ Perceptions of the Motivations and Behaviors of Online Dating Users
This study explores how observers—individuals who observe but do not engage in online dating—perceive the motivations and behaviors of dating app users. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), it captures how observers construct meaning around online relationships within the Philippine cultural context. Interviews with young adults elicited that observers generally perceive online dating as convenience-driven and less genuine than conventional relationships. Notably, participants compared app-based connections to culturally established rituals such as panliligaw, linking the former with less effort, fleeting intentions, and weaker commitment. Media depiction and secondhand accounts also figured in such perceptions, tending to reinforce stigmas of superficiality or emotional deficiency. While observers acknowledged multiple user motivations, they were more likely to question the authenticity and depth of online relationships. These results reveal a disconnect between the lived experiences of digital dating and observers' perceptions, mirroring wider cultural tensions between modern and traditional relationship values. The research opens new paths in the social narratives of online romance and calls for bridging perception gaps through open discussion and future research.
https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/conf_shsrescon/2025/paper_lcs/1
