Navigating digital dating: Experiences and perceptions of mid‐ and later‐life adults

Abstract Ongoing demographic shifts alongside the normalization of dating technologies as a mode for meeting potential partners makes understanding mid‐ and later‐life adults' perceptions of and experiences with navigating these platforms increasingly important. Drawing on publicly available data from Wave 111 of Pew Research Center's American Trends Panel (2022), we compare perceptions of mid‐ and later‐life adults aged 30 and older as a whole ( n = 4316), as well as experiences of digital dating tech adopters ( n = 1185). We explore perceptions of the overall effectiveness of dating technologies in relationship formation, risk experiences, and attitudes about protective policy measures focusing on intersectional variations by gender, age cohort (30–49, 50–64, and 65+), and dating tech adoption status. Results indicate that both perceptions of effectiveness and experiences with dating technologies are mixed, with adults 65 and older more likely to view online dating as effective in finding a partner. Women across all age groups tend to have more negative experiences. We found age group and gender variations regarding safety concerns including fears around privacy, harassment, and fraud. Overall, harassment and scams are prevalent, with nearly half of online dating users reporting negative experiences and just over half expressing fears of being scammed. In terms of protective measures, most respondents support dating sites/apps requiring background checks. Our findings support the need for utilizing a more intersectional lens when researching mid‐ and later‐life adult's experiences with dating technologies and gathering their perceptions as stakeholders in developing evidence‐informed policies to enhance online dating safety measures.