Swipe, like, love

Almost every second relationship begins virtually. Tinder, OnlyFans and Instagram are the places where advances are made, sex is initiated and relationships are forged. For a long time, psychology saw the proliferation of mobile phone use behaviour as an addiction, addiction-like or as a fear of missing out. However, the latest findings point to attachment, to a love of the device and people in the virtual world - be it new online acquaintances that slowly turn into real-life relationships or influencers who provide guidance on everyday questions and unusual interests. Johanna L. Degen traces the significance of the various phenomena from online dating to social media use against the background of current theories of intimacy, love, sexuality and relationships and applies the current state of research as well as findings from therapeutic and couple therapy practice to these contexts.