Online Dating in Canada: An Immigrant-Native Born Comparison

Project Lead

Team Members

Sub-Theme: Placemaking and Relationship Formation

Through studying and redesigning public spaces and social infrastructure, this sub-theme will enhance our understanding of building better places that foster friendship and relationship within communities, as well as between Indigenous people and the newcomer population.

Objective

When talking about settlement and integration, we often focus on helping immigrants get jobs, but what about their needs for love and companionship? Forming a satisfying intimate relationship benefits immigrants鈥� mental and physical health, sense of belonging, and social integration in the host society. As digital technologies penetrate people鈥檚 lives, online dating has become a primary way couples meet.

This project will collect original data from a large-scale national survey to investigate the use and implications of online dating in Canada, with a focus on the immigrant-native born comparison.

Research Questions

Has online dating precipitated a 鈥渄ating apocalypse鈥� characterized by diminished relationship quality, as feared by the public?
Has online dating become more popular, compared with pre-pandemic?
As online dating is particularly effective in bringing same-sex couples together, is this benefit of dating technologies reaped by both foreign-born and Canadian-born sexual minorities?

Methodology

The research design adopts statistical analysis and surveys.

Status

The project is active and currently in the data collection phase.

Expected completion date: September 2026

Outcomes

Publications:

鈥溾€楨fficiency Trap鈥�: Can online blind dating help users find a partner quickly?鈥� WeChat, June 3, 2025,

Cai M, Qian Y, Hu Y. The efficiency paradox: A temporal lens into online dating among Chinese immigrants in Canada. J Soc Pers Relat. 2025 Aug;42(8):2167-2187. . Epub 2025 Apr 28. PMID: 40538890; PMCID: PMC12176279.

Rolfsen, Erik. 鈥淒ating in the digital age: How online dating changes our partner selection.鈥� UBC News, February 12, 2024,