In 1967, 76 percent of women said they would marry someone they didn’t romantically love. This is a figure that shocked comedian Aziz Ansari while working on his book, Modern Romance. He teamed up with sociologist Eric Klinenberg to understand how romantic expectations and dating have evolved over the years, especially with the advent of mobile technology and online dating. (According to the Pew Research Center, for example, one in five adults in the United States between the ages of 25 and 34 have given online dating a try.) To understand the state of dating today, the two talked with a number of scientists. They also conducted focus groups in the United States, as well as in countries like Argentina and Japan, with people who shared their experiences—and their texts. Klinenberg, along with sociologists Jess Carbino and Lucy Hunt, join Science Friday to discuss how text messages, profile pictures, and apps all fit into the landscape of modern dating.
