Half of Dutch young adults use date online; Tinder, Happn, Grindr most popular

Online dating is increasingly common in the Netherlands. Nearly half of Dutch between the ages of 18 and 34 are active on dating sites or apps like Tinder, Happn and Grindr. Just over half of all Dutch think that getting a date online is just as normal as using more traditional methods, according to a survey among 1,015 Dutch people by research agency Ipsos, and researched by Rutgers and the Volkskrant.

In total, one in five Dutch have an online dating profile. Tinder is the most popular dating app, with 13 percent of Dutch using it, followed by Happn with 3 percent and Grindr with 2 percent. As can be expected, the younger generation is far more comfortable with dating apps than older Dutch. Of Dutch people over the age of 65, only 4 percent have experience in online dating.

Being active on a dating site does not necessarily mean that it ends in a date or sex, the researchers found. "The majority creates a profile, swipes, and match", researcher Hanneke de Graaf of Rutgers said to the Volkskrant. "But if you ask who actually went dating, the percentage plummets. If you ask who had sex through a dating app, it becomes even less."

Sexting - sharing sexual photos - is also an increasingly common occurrence in the Netherlands. A fifth of respondents said that they have taken nude photos or video of themselves, and 70 percent of that group also shared those images. Three in ten respondents said they consider it someone's "own fault" if they are criticized or blackmailed after a sexual image of them is leaked. De Graaf calls this "worrying", according to the newspaper. "The person who forwards the image is guilty. Not the one who shared the images of themselves in good faith."

The study also showed that around 40 percent of Dutch sometimes watch porn. Pornography is considerably more popular among men than women, with 60 percent of men saying they watch porn and 20 percent of women. Women, on the other hand, are more willing to talk about watching porn than men. Half of women do that, compared to a third of men. "Women talk more with their friends about all things related to sexuality", De Graaf explained.