Call it the kid-in-a-candy-store effect: “There are so many other people online,” Paul told Yahoo Health. “So you get into this mentality of the bigger, better deal — hey, if this person isn’t working out for me, I can just log in and look for other people.” And, as this line of thinking goes, you may not only be able to replace your current partner — you may be able to upgrade to a more attractive person, with more shared interests.
This effect is likely being exacerbated by the hook-up culture that’s increasingly taking root, both on and off the web. “The whole casual [sex] culture is just being reinforced by apps like Tinder, where it’s as convenient as swiping the screen to get to your partner,” said Paul. “It’s almost like shopping on Amazon. If you visit a website, you don’t feel compelled to buy anything, because the cost involved in going to the website is very low.”
By contrast, if you’ve physically driven to the mall, you may be more inclined to make a purchase, if only to justify the trip. Similarly, offline, it’s tougher to meet a compatible partner, potentially encouraging you to cling to the one you do find, said Paul.