Host: Lauren Meltzer
Producer: Susan Britton
According to a new Stanford University study, the internet is now the third most common way for Americans to find romantic partners -- and the study's authors posit that if current trends continue, the web will eventually become our nation's number one matchmaker, eclipsing friends, family, church and neighborhood. What are the social implications of the web's increasingly dominant role in our romantic lives? Are relationships formed online more likely to transcend racial, religious, age or class differences? Do couples who meet online have more satisfying or longer lasting relationships? Are those less technologically savvy less likely to pair up?
And in case you feel, on this Valentine's Day, emboldened to join the throngs looking for love online, we will also delve into the art and science of virtual mate-seeking. What kinds of information should you disclose in your profile? What are Bay Area residents looking for in their mates? How do compatibility questionnaires work? Please join us to discuss these issues and more, and to share your online dating experiences, from the harrowing to the happily ever after.
- Michael Rosenfeld, Associate Professor of Sociology, Stanford University, and the author, most recently, of Meeting Online: The Rise of the Internet as a Social Intermediary.
- Sam Yagan, , Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of OkCupid, a national online dating site.