
Sexual Selection: How the internet has changed dating - jkuria
https://www.economist.com/briefing/2018/08/18/how-the-internet-has-changed-dating
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aluren
Every time these kinds of articles pop up, I feel compelled to ask this
question: how prevalent is online dating in America? Here in Europe it's of
course a thing but the vast majority of people I know still find their
partners in meatspace, even millenials. Frequent dating apps users remain a
minority as far as I know, and people still meet through social gatherings,
friends of friends, workspaces, etc. I'm under the impression, from my
(limited) stays in the US, the (limited) conversations I've had with people
there as well as the experiences of friends who live there, that online dating
apps have become the _de facto_ standard for meeting people if you are single
and looking for anything. Having never used them, I am sometimes bemused by
the passionate and lengthy discussions these articles tend to provoke, as well
as all the (sometimes ludicrous) social commentary about gender dynamics
derived from online behavior. Maybe it's because you _are_ completely missing
out if you don't use dating apps in America, and online dating has simply
become _dating_. On the other hand, the stories I've heard are maybe only
relevant to a tiny demographic (college-educated urban millenials living in
one of the top 10 US cities) and have little to do with the general population
at large. So, what gives?

