Survey Reveals How Young Indians Are Learning From Dating Missteps

A new survey of nearly 9,500 Indian singles suggests that even when modern dating does not lead to a long-term relationship, it still provides important lessons about communication, self-awareness, and emotional resilience. This follows up on a report from earlier this year that dove into the ways that young adults are dating in India, and how dating norms are evolving.

The study, conducted by QuackQuack, one of India’s most widely used dating platforms, polled users aged 18 to 28 from both metropolitan and suburban areas. Participants came from a range of professional and educational backgrounds, including IT, healthcare, finance, and law.

One of the strongest patterns to emerge was what the researchers called the “overprep” phenomenon. About a third of daters over 25 admitted to heavily planning their conversations, studying profiles in detail, and testing different icebreakers before engaging with a match. While meant to boost confidence, many said the effort often left them feeling more anxious when chats took unexpected turns.

Another common behavior was labeled “teacher’s pet syndrome.” Roughly two in seven respondents—particularly younger users in Tier 1 cities—described constant anxiety about how their messages were received, frequently overanalyzing short replies or double-texting in search of reassurance. The survey noted that this pattern was more common among women than men, though both genders reported similar pressures to seek validation.

Honesty also emerged as a recurring theme. More than one-fifth of respondents said that being transparent about their personalities and intentions led to stronger connections, even if it required vulnerability. While many admitted that openness was difficult, they emphasized that genuine interactions were often more rewarding than carefully curated personas.

Finally, the survey highlighted what it called “revision dating,” with 12% of male respondents acknowledging they revisited past matches out of nostalgia or a desire for closure. The majority ultimately concluded that moving forward was healthier than trying to rekindle previous connections.