Online Relationship Search: A Computerized Review from A Media-Market Perspective

This scoping review surveys quantitative online dating research from a media-market perspective. We conceptualize online dating as online relationship search, which refers to two-sided matching activities that capitalize features of online dating platforms as both media and markets. Accordingly, we reviewed findings about the links between search strategies and outcomes, particularly covering a stream of strategies aimed to unleash the potential of online dating as media-markets: endorsing online dating as a venue for relationship search, expanding access to market options, optimizing matching procedures, and enhancing mutual understanding via interaction. A total of 134 studies were included via manual and computerized screening. First, pre-2010s research tended to find meeting a partner via an online dating site associated with higher relationship quality whereas post-2010s research often showed dating apps associated with less favorable search outcomes. Second, both excessive and inadequate access to options were found to be counterproductive. Third, meta-cognition about matching procedures were found to enhance matching outcomes. Fourth, daters were found to leverage different communication modalities/affordances for achieving different goals (garnering attention vs. facilitating long-term development). Findings suggest that successful searches can be facilitated by strategies that capitalize media market potential at different stages of search. We discuss how the media-market perspective may contribute to future work.