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Updated: Feb 6, 2026

Integrating Computerized Linguistic and Social Network Analyses to Capture Addiction Recovery Capital in an Online Community
Published on: May 31, 2019
Online dating is associated with sex addiction and social anxiety
Yoni Zlot1, Maya Goldstein1, Koby Cohen1
11 Department of Behavioral Science, Integrative Brain and Cognition Center, Ariel University , Ariel, Israel.
Background And Aims:
There is an increasing use of the Internet for dating and sexual purpose. The aim of this study was to investigate the contribution of social anxiety and sensation seeking to ratings of sex addiction among those who use dating Internet sites.
Methods:
A total of 279 participants (128 males and 151 females), with overall mean age being 25 years (SD = 2.75) and age range of 18-38, answered questionnaires on the Internet. Questionnaires included demographic details, Leibowitz Social Anxiety Scale, Zuckerman Sensation Seeking Scale, and Sexual Addiction Screening Test (SAST).
Results:
The users of Internet-dating applications showed higher scores on the SAST than non-users. Second, participants who had low scores of sex addiction had lower social anxiety scores than the participants with high scores of sexual addiction. There was no difference in sensation-seeking scores between participants with low and high scores of sexual addiction.
Discussion And Conclusions:
The results of this study indicate that social anxiety rather than sensation seeking or gender is a major factor affecting the use of Internet-dating applications for obtaining sexual partners.
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Individuals with anxiety often experience a range of physical and emotional symptoms, including sweating, trembling, tachycardia, and disturbances in sleep patterns. These symptoms vary in intensity and frequency but are generally disruptive and distressing.

