Algorithms are changing the dating game — an expert weighs in on what you should know

Can we trust the algorithms behind dating apps with our hearts? In this episode of ITK: Behind the Screens, our host Niamh Adkins (@niamhadkins) sits down with expert Liesel Sharabi to learn how these algorithms are impacting our relationships.

“We all know that apps like Instagram and TikTok are social platforms, but so are dating apps,” Niamh says. “Who hasn’t been swiping left or right these days? We’re going to be diving into how these apps and the algorithms behind them have changed modern love.”

Niamh chats with Liesel Sharabi, an Associate Professor at Arizona State University who studies dating in the digital age, to learn more. Here’s what she learns:

Niamh: How does your research pertain to the world of dating apps?

Liesel: “If you look throughout all of human history at how we’ve met partners, it’s always been face-to-face. And now we’re turning to algorithms for those sorts of introductions. So, something I’ve been researching is what role those algorithms play in our decision-making with our partners and how they’re affecting our relationships.”

Niamh: What roles do algorithms play when it comes to dating apps?

Liesel: “When you look at the profiles that you’re able to interact with, a lot of that is being determined by an algorithm that’s identifying who’s going to be in your dating pool and who’s going to be excluded from it. We’re trusting algorithms with one of the most important decisions that we’re ever going to make, which is our choice in a romantic partner. So, in that sense, they have a huge role to play in the experience.”

Niamh: Is there such a thing as playing the numbers game with these algorithms? Can you cheat the algorithm?

Liesel: “You can certainly try, but at the same time, without knowing more about how the algorithm you’re using is making its recommendations, you could end up making the problem worse for yourself. For instance, someone who’s just swiping right on everyone is signaling to the algorithm, ‘I’m not very picky. I’ll match with anybody.’ And I don’t think anyone out there wants recommendations to be made based on the assumption that they don’t care who they’re matched with at all.

“A lot of these platforms are really using people’s behavior to make recommendations. One way of doing that is through something called collaborative filtering. With this, the algorithm is making recommendations based on groups of users who appear to have similar tastes. For example, if you swipe right on someone on a dating app, even if it’s the first profile that you’ve ever swiped on, the algorithm is basically able to look at data from other people who have also been swiping right on similar kinds of profiles. And then it knows who they were interested in next, so it can then recommend those types of profiles to you.”

Niamh: Each dating app seems to have some secret sauce to the algorithm approach. In your research, what are some of the key data points that these algorithms focus on to help users find their next date?

Liesel: “You want to be really careful and intentional about who you’re swiping on because you are essentially training the algorithm in the type of person that you’re interested in. But then, on the flipside, it’s also looking at the quality of the pool that seems to be interested in you in return.”

To hear more of what Liesel has to say, what the latest installment of ITK: Behind the Screens.

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