For a growing number of adults, intimacy now comes with read receipts, disappearing messages, and the ability to close the app whenever things get too real. According to a new Dating.com survey of 2,000 adults, 14% of respondents admitted they have chosen sexting over actual sex even when physical intimacy was available.
The findings point to a bigger shift happening across modern dating culture, where convenience, fantasy, and emotional distance are starting to outweigh traditional relationship dynamics. Nearly half of those surveyed said they find sexting exciting, while one in four admitted they use it to explore fantasies they would never act on in real life.
Jaime Bronstein, LCSW and resident therapist at Dating.com, explained why digital intimacy keeps pulling people in.
“Sexting gives people a sense of excitement, validation, and control with far less vulnerability than in-person intimacy,” Bronstein said. “For many, it can feel emotionally safer because they can carefully manage how much of themselves they reveal while still experiencing attention, flirtation, and connection.”
The Convenience Factor Is Changing Dating
One of the most revealing details from the survey showed that 13% of respondents specifically liked sexting because they could “log off whenever they want.” That answer says a lot about how relationships are evolving in 2026.
Experts have already noted major changes in online dating behavior. Research from SSRS found that 37% of U.S. adults have used dating apps, while younger users increasingly rely on digital interaction to build romantic connections.
At the same time, emotional boundaries continue getting messier. The Dating.com survey found that 83% of respondents consider sexting outside a relationship cheating, yet nearly one in four admitted they have done it anyway. Meanwhile, 22% said they currently maintain a regular “sexting buddy” while dating someone else.
Friends, Work & Relationships Are Getting Blurred
The survey also showed that sexting is no longer limited to romantic partners. Four in ten respondents admitted they have sexted a platonic friend, while more than 20% confessed to sexting during work hours.
Bronstein warned that the growing comfort with digital intimacy can create long-term emotional confusion.
“The challenge is that sexting can easily blur emotional and relationship boundaries, especially when it becomes more about reassurance, escape, or validation than genuine intimacy,” she said.
And judging by the numbers, that blur may be exactly what keeps people logging back in.
