Mod dancers

Owner of a Lonely Heart

Personal ads changed dating, but they also provided source material for sociologists and psychologists to understand how people choose mates.
An illustration of a dating app with Victorian women's photographs

The “Dating Apps” of Victorian England

They didn't have smartphones back then, but they still had personal ads.
Illustration of a man surrounded by women

A 19th-Century Catfishing Scheme

In the late 1800s, a U.K. scheme lured lonely bachelors with newspaper advertisements supposedly placed by wealthy women.
Dating algorithm

How to Build the Netflix of Love

There's no shortage of online dating sites and apps. But there’s one common problem with these services: they’re all looking at the wrong data. Dating apps should take a hint from Netflix's algorithm.
Tokyo commuters

Japan’s Solution to Loneliness: Virtual Wives

Japan has always been at the forefront of technological advancement. With a lonely and over-taxed workforce, the country has now introduced the robot wife.
Nick Cannon and Mariah Carey

The Stigma Around Older Woman-Younger Man Relationships

A recent study found that 34 percent of women over 40 are dating younger men, yet these relationships continue to face social disapproval. Why?
Online Dating

Has Online Dating Resulted in More Successful Marriages?

In studying the demographics of online dating, researchers found that those who met online had a higher chance of staying together in their marriage. 
Why Bother with OK Cupid

Don’t Fall in Love on OkCupid

More than a decade into OkCupid's existence, sociologists are finding that its widely touted algorithm doesn’t actually help us find romance.