Thursday, February 22 at 2:00 pm
Swipe Left: Dating Apps Have Killed Romance
Every day millions of people turn to dating apps to find love. To date, more than 49 million Americans have given digital dating a try and the companies facilitating these matches are raking in billions. But are dating apps really designed to promote long-lasting romance? Apps like Tinder and Bumble make finding a date as easy as swiping right, while digital platforms like Match.com and OkCupid use specialized algorithms to help users find the perfect partner, regardless of age or personal preferences. Further, a range of niche sites connect people with highly specific interests, whether it’s single parenthood, a gluten-free lifestyle, or a devotion to Ayn Rand. But some argue that online dating is rife with sexism, racism, and misogyny, and that dating apps ultimately create a culture that prioritizes sex over committed and lasting love. After all, why settle on one match when there may be someone better just a swipe away?
The Debaters:
Daniel Jones
Editor, New York Times' "Modern Love" Column
Daniel Jones has edited the “Modern Love” column in the Sunday Styles section of the New York Times since its inception in October 2004. Jones is the author of several books including Love Illuminated: Exploring Life’s Most Mystifying Subject (with the Help of 50,000 Strangers), The Bastard on the Couch and Modern Love: 50 True and Extraordinary Tales of Desire, Deceit, and Devotion. In addition, his writing has appeared in the New York Times, Elle, Parade, Real Simple, and Redbook, among others.
Eric Klinenberg
Sociologist & Co-Author, Modern Romance
Eric Klinenberg is a professor of sociology and director of the Institute for Public Knowledge at New York University. He is a co-author of Modern Romance, which investigates the nature of dating in the digital era. Klinenberg is also the author of Going Solo: The Extraordinary Rise and Surprising Appeal of Living Alone. His scholarly work has been published in academic journals including the American Sociological Review, Theory and Society, and Ethnography. He has contributed to numerous leading news platforms as well as the radio program, This American Life.
Manoush Zomorodi
Host and Managing Editor, Note to Self
Manoush Zomorodi is the host and managing editor of Note to Self, "the tech show about being human," from WNYC Studios. She has won numerous awards for her work, including four from the New York Press Club. In 2014, the Alliance for Women in Media named her Outstanding Host. Zomorodi is author of Bored and Brilliant: How Spacing Out Can Unlock Your Most Productive & Creative Self. She is a self-proclaimed relentless examiner of the modern human condition.
Helen Fisher
Biological Anthropologist, Best-Selling Author & Chief Scientific Adviser, Match.com
Helen Fisher, PhD, a biological anthropologist, is a senior research fellow at The Kinsey Institute at Indiana University, a member of the Center for Human Evolutionary Studies at Rutgers University and Chief Scientific Adviser to Match.com. She uses brain scanning (fMRI) to study the neural systems associated with romantic love, attachment, and partner happiness. She has written six internationally best-selling books on courtship, romantic love, and future sex, including Why We Love; Why Him? Why Her? and Anatomy of Love. Fisher is also the co-founder of NeuroColor where she is a pioneer in examining the neurochemistry of business team-building, innovation, and leadership.
Tom Jacques
Vice President of Engineering, OkCupid
Tom Jacques is vice president of engineering at OkCupid, a leading dating site that boasts more than 3.5 million users and sees over seven million messages exchanged per day. OkCupid, which relies on a dating algorithm to determine digital matches, was recently deemed the site most likely to appear in New York Times’ marriage announcements, ranking above Tinder, Match.com, and eHarmony. As a software engineer, Tom engages in data analysis designed to make dating more efficient and less time-consuming. He is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University.
To listen to the audio of “Swipe Left: Dating Apps Have Killed Romance” on Intelligence Squared online, please click HERE.