Swiping Right For Love

Building Tomorrow
E34 -

Still looking for a last-​minute valentine? Maybe one of many dating apps can help you find “the one” instantly!

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Hosts
Paul Matzko
Tech & Innovation Editor
Guests
Matthew Feeney

Matthew Feeney is head of technology and innovation at the Centre for Policy Studies. He was previously the director of Cato’s Project on Emerging Technologies, where he worked on issues concerning the intersection of new technologies and civil liberties, and before that, he was assistant editor of Rea​son​.com. Matthew is a dual British/​American citizen and received both his BA and MA in philosophy from the University of Reading in England.

Gabrielle Okun

Gabrielle Okun is a current M.A. student in Columbia University’s Modern European Studies department. Her research focuses on 19th century Polish intellectual history, specifically looking at the conceptualization of a Polish state without borders. She graduated with a B.A. in History and minor in Political Science from The College of New Jersey, studying French cultural history. Her other work includes working as an archival assistant with rare books and manuscripts and teaching English. She previously worked at the Cato Institute and as a Polish and French instructor.

Today, more than a third of long-​term relationships are started through online dating apps like Tinder and eHarmony. (And the percentage is even higher for LGBQT communities.) During the early years of online dating, critics suggested that the apps would lead to either sexual hedonism or the formation of shallow, unstable long-​term relationships. Well, some of the first major longitudinal studies are finally out and we can see how those concerns panned out. Join us as we discuss the vast cultural ramifications of online dating and why it’s been a net positive for modern society. Oh, and we also talk about Bristlr, a dating app for the facially hirsute and those who love them. Let’s be honest; that’s the real draw for the episode!

How do dating apps work? Do dating apps have a stigma attached to them? How do dating apps reinforce the silos in which we live our lives? Can we actually have an algorithm that creates the basis of love?

Further Reading:

Dating App for Trump Supporters Says it Will Sue Liberals Who Try to Join, written by Moran Gstalter

Pheramor: New Dating App Matches Users Based on Their DNA, written by Olivia Petter

How the Internet Has Changed Dating, the Economist

Related Content:

“Rape Culture:” Yea or Nay?, written by Sharon Presley

Free Love: Victoria Woodhull, written by David S. D’Amato

Wearable Tech: Health Care of the Future, Building Tomorrow Podcast