A new survey from Dating.com suggests sexting is becoming a more common part of how people communicate, maintain relationships, and seek emotional connection online.
The company surveyed 2,000 adults as part of broader research into digital intimacy, and the results highlight how online communication continues to blur traditional relationship boundaries. While 83 percent of respondents said sexting someone outside a relationship counts as cheating, nearly one in four admitted they had done it themselves. Another 22 percent said they had maintained an ongoing flirtatious messaging relationship while dating someone else.
The findings also show how digital communication is reshaping friendships. More than 40 percent of respondents said they had exchanged intimate messages with a platonic friend at least once. In many cases, those interactions never developed into formal relationships, but they still reflected a growing overlap between friendship and flirtation online.
Not every interaction was tied to genuine romantic interest. About 27 percent of respondents admitted they had sent suggestive messages simply to maintain someone’s attention, despite not wanting a deeper connection. That detail suggests digital communication is increasingly being used as a way to maintain social and emotional engagement.
For some people, online interaction is even becoming preferable to traditional intimacy. Fourteen percent said they had chosen sexting over physical intimacy, even when both options were available. Respondents cited reasons such as convenience, emotional distance, and the ability to explore fantasies in a more controlled environment.
The workplace also appeared in the survey results. Roughly one in five respondents admitted to sending flirtatious or intimate messages while at work, though most claimed it did not impact productivity.
“Sexting gives people a sense of excitement, validation, and control with far less vulnerability than in-person intimacy,” said Jaime Bronstein, LCSW, resident therapist at Dating.com.
The broader takeaway from the survey is that digital intimacy is becoming more embedded in everyday communication. As relationships continue shifting online, many people appear to be redefining what emotional connection, loyalty, and attraction look like in the modern dating world.
