NortonLifeLock Inc. unveiled the results of its second edition of the India Digital Wellness Report, an online survey of over 1,500 city-based Indian adults, which explores the increased popularity of online dating apps across user segments and how the affordability of data has made the smartphone the primary device of entertainment. The report found that 40% of the respondents were comfortable with sharing personal details on dating apps without even meeting the person. Interestingly, 66% of the women and 63% of the Gen X respondents felt that the people they meet online are trustworthy.
The findings of the report suggest that Indian men and women are becoming progressively open-minded about the concept of online dating, with four in every ten respondents using online dating in their quest for a serious relationship. Almost 55% of the respondents in metro cities used online dating apps to look for a serious relationship, whereas 68% of the respondents in Tier-1 cities and 21% of the respondents in Tier-2 cities cited casual dating and physical intimacy, respectively, as the top reason for using online dating apps.
Furthermore, it emerged that while 65% of Gen Z respondents used online dating apps for casual dating, 63% of Gen X respondents were looking for a serious relationship and 72% of the millennial respondents used the apps to look for friendship or companionship. The report also revealed that a significant number of responders (49%) did not use dating apps as it did not fit their style, or that they shied away from it as they had heard negative stories around the concept (27%).
“The increasing affordability of smartphones and data is enabling us to complement many aspects of our real life online. Indian men and women are becoming progressively open-minded about the concept of online dating,” said Ritesh Chopra, Director, NortonLifeLock, India. “However, it is important for consumers to be mindful of their digital footprint, as it is easy for cyber criminals to deceive users by creating fake identities and misusing the personal data that is shared on online platforms. It has always been our endeavour to educate consumers of the threats that exist and how they can protect their online identities in the complex digital world.”
Owing to the accessibility and affordability of mobile data, smartphones have become the primary source of entertainment in Tier-1 cities. Almost 91% of the respondents in Tier-1 cities felt that smartphones had replaced the television, the camera (87%), the alarm clock (80%) and the music device (72%). Female respondents displayed more anxiety than their male counterparts if deprived of their smartphones. 73% of the female respondents and 64% of the male respondents claimed to get nervous if they forgot their phone while stepping out, whereas 72% of female respondents and 60% of male respondents claimed that they cannot live without their smartphone.
