The Complexities of Human Love
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Dating apps show us what we want—a relationship—without always accurately reflecting the experience of it. Our expectation that tech will create anything more than opportunities for social connectedness may overlook the hard work of coexisting with another human being.
A conversation with University of Kansas social psychologist Omri Gillath helps us parse the divide between what tech promises and how it satisfies our emotional needs.
This episode was produced by Rebecca Rashid and is hosted by Arthur Brooks. Editing by A.C. Valdez and Claudine Ebeid. Fact-check by Ena Alvarado. Engineering by Matthew Simonson.
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Music by Flix (“Saturdays”), Mindme (“Anxiety”), John Utah (“A Walk on the Mile”), and Yomoti (“Nebula”).
This transcript has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Rebecca Rashid: Arthur, the real reason I don’t use dating apps is because I don’t want to go about my love life in the same way I do playing some game on my phone.
You don’t want to use the same technology that you would for goofing around while waiting for the bus that you do to find