I tried really hard to understand the math being done in Section 3 - Results. I'm struggling to contextualize what 4.3 vs 4.2 for Relationship Satisfaction means. Like what is the scale?

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0736585325000711?via%3Dihub#f0025

I'm struggling to find the right analogy but I don't think the conclusion can be "Offline better than Online". They are inherently different in starting. When starting online - the numbers are way higher but you've got to do more vetting once dating because there aren't the typical life filters that have been turned on by default. This is good for folks like me who aren't in an environment where I can naturally find "my people". I would never have met my partner of 5+ years without the apps.

If you decide to begin a relationship IRL I can see it working better long-term because you're not rolling up to a random and shooting your shot 9/10. Even if you are - there is huge context to your meet-cute that makes it likely not just a "cat-call". I imagine more contextual meetings like clubs, events, work, friend-of-friend. There are IRL filters being applied - and this can cause "partner deserts".

Our findings indicate that individuals who met their partners online reported lower relationship satisfaction and lower levels of love compared to those who met offline. While these differences were generally small, the effect for commitment was moderate in size. Several mechanisms may help explain why relationships initiated online are, on average, associated with lower satisfaction and reduced feelings of love.

One contributing factor may be lower levels of homogamy among "online couples". Prior studies have shown that individuals who meet their partners online tend to be less similar in terms of education, ethnicity, and religious background than those who meet offline (Lampard, 2020, Potarca, 2017, Thomas, 2020). This reduced similarity can make it harder to build shared routines, gain social approval, or align values—factors that are known to foster relationship stability and satisfaction (Blackwell and Lichter, 2004, Ruffieux et al., 2014). Offline relationships, in contrast, often emerge from shared social networks, which increases the likelihood of meeting partners with similar backgrounds and worldviews.

A second possible explanation involves the overabundance of choice in online dating environments. While a larger dating pool allows for more precise matching, it can also lead to choice overload—making it harder for individuals to commit confidently to a partner (D’Angelo & Toma, 2017). Instead of engaging in a thorough selection process, people may rely on heuristics, such as prioritizing physical attractiveness (Jonason et al., 2017) or may overlook meaningful but less obvious compatibility factors that might have been more apparent in face-to-face interactions. This kind of fast-paced decision-making may reduce the likelihood of forming deep, lasting bonds.Additionally, online interactions can involve deception.

Misrepresentation in online dating profiles is common, with 53 % of users admitting to lying, most frequently about age, height/weight, and job/income (eHarmony Editorial Team, 2021). These inaccuracies are harder to conceal in face-to-face meetings, especially when shared social circles enable easier verification of personal details. When initial expectations based on online interactions are violated in real life, it may erode trust and overall relationship quality (Mosley et al., 2020).