A new study reveals 'digital dealbreakers' in the dating world—which one irks you the most?

From online shopping to porn consumption, can digital dealbreakers stop a relationship before it starts?

Multiracial young couple sitting separately on the distance while using the mobile phone.
(Image credit: Getty)

We all have dating dealbreakersdigital dealbreakers are but a small component. 

According to new research, our ever-growing Amazon wishlist and mastering of TikTok trends (hello, red wine makeup) could apparently be detrimental when it comes to our love lives. 

Too much time behind a screen has the possibility to turn those beige flags red and sabotage a relationship. So, we ask you this: is it time to put down the phone (at least for a little while)?

What are the biggest digital dealbreakers in relationships?

RANT Casino surveyed 3,000 people in the U.K. to uncover which online obsessions are the biggest turn-offs to people in relationships. Can you guess what they are, perhaps from experience? 

Per the survey results, the top digital turnoffs—and the percentage of respondents who would break up because of them—are as follows: 

  • Online porn, at 32.97% of respondents
  • OnlyFans, at 18.30%
  • Online gambling, at 18.23%
  • Online shopping, at 10.23%
  • Online gaming, at 8.47%
  • Working (on a laptop or computer), at 3.47%
  • TikTok use, at 3.47%
  • Instagram use, at 2.47%
  • YouTube use, at 2.20%

Social media use comes in at the bottom of the pack and according to the findings, most people aren’t fazed by FYPs and newsfeeds: TikTok was only given as the top reason for calling it quits by 3.47% of participants, followed by Instagram at 2.67%, and finally Youtube at 2.20%.

Given that social media has practically taken on a life in itself, we're not surprised that people aren't terribly concerned with it. However, one contender irks people of all backgrounds: online porn was the number one answer given for digital dealbreakers, across every region and age range for both men and women, according to RANT Casino. 

Oddly enough, sexperts say watching porn together with your significant other is actually encouraged. Findings from the Frontiers in Psychology suggest that those pairs who watch NSFW material with one another experienced a higher relationship and sexual satisfaction than partners who do not or who only view such content solo. Think this realization will change the survey results? 

Rounding out the dealbreakers are online habits like gambling, shopping (guilty!), gaming and, at a lesser level, working on a computer. (Can't really help that these days, huh?) 

So, where do you stand on these virtual no-nos?

Danielle Valente
Digital News Writer

Need a TV show recommendation? Maybe a few decor tips? Danielle, a digital news writer at Future, has you covered. Her work appears throughout the company’s lifestyle brands, including My Imperfect Life, Real Homes, and woman&home. Mainly, her time is spent at My Imperfect Life, where she’s attuned to the latest entertainment trends and dating advice for Gen Z.

Before her time at Future, Danielle was the editor of Time Out New York Kids, where she got to experience the best of the city from the point of view of its littlest residents. Before that, she was a news editor at Elite Daily. Her work has also appeared in Domino, Chowhound, and amNewYork, to name a few. 

When Danielle’s not writing, you can find her testing out a new recipe, reading a book (suggestions always welcome), or rearranging the furniture in her apartment…again.