Online dating has led to more short, sexual relationships, but at the same time there is also another trend.
- It goes much faster for couples who are formed by meeting on a dating app, says Marie Bergström, researcher in sociology at the Institute for Demographic Studies in Paris.
She has researched the development of online dating for 20 years and sees that family formations go much faster for heterosexual couples.
Conceiving children faster
- Everything goes faster.
Online couples have sex faster, move in together earlier and have children faster than couples who meet in other ways, says Marie Bergström.
She has interviewed many couples who have met through online dating and according to her there are some clear reasons why family formation happens so quickly:
- You are often clear about what you want when you post your profile on a dating site.
In this way, you can connect with others who also have a goal with their dating.
When you know where to put your feet, it's easier to move forward faster.
American studies also show that relationships that start online are just as durable as other relationships.
Had a baby after 13 months
13 months after Emilia Töyrä and Oscar Carlsson met via an online dating site, Oscar moved across the country because the couple had their first child.
See more about their story in the clip above.
See "Nätdejtingboomen" on SVT Play, or Vetenskapens Värld on Monday 6 March, 20.00 in SVT2. It is a program about research into the effects of online dating on us and on our relationships. Emilia Töyrä is a former Member of Parliament (S) and now sits on the municipal board in Kiruna.