Dating, technology and interpersonal relationships in 2025. by Shanna McAleer
There is no argument that technology has revolutionized many aspects of our lives within the last decade. Thanks to technology, interacting and meeting people online, this has altered so much from how our grandparents and parents once did it. What was once taboo, sketchy or weird is now one of the most popular ways to meet someone: online dating.
Emma McGown, writer for ‘The Kernel’ puts it best in her article ‘Predicting the Future of Online Dating’, as she states, “Fast forward to 2015, and no one is ashamed to admit they met on the Internet. There’s no longer a stigma attached to using technology to find that special someone, and thanks to the rise of Tinder in 2014, everyone is wearing out their thumbs swiping left and right. (McGowan, 2014) This certaintly takes much of the interpersonal aspects of dating out of the whole formula. Our major prediction for dating in 2025 would be that there is very minimum interpersonal contact or connection, seeing how technology is so prevalent in our dating lives at present.
According to Pew Research Center, 59% of Americans in 2015 agree that online dating is a great way to meet someone, compared to 44% in 2005. (Pew, 2015). With that spike in numbers, one thing is clear: Online dating is the way of the future, and any relationship will be created with major technological involvement.
But what exactly does the future have in store for the most personal of interpersonal relationships?
Dating, in of itself has changed drastically in this decade and century. Thanks to the invention of technology, some people take to using their gadgets as simpler way of meeting people. Seeing how everyone is on the go these days, many people have find it hard finding a partner. One of our future predictions for dating in the year 2025 will be that it will be done mostly online, whether it be through a phone app (think tinder, coffeemeetbagel, etc.) or an actual website like match.com and ‘okcupid’ (which both have mobile app’s now, anyways.) This closely impacts interpersonal relationships, because the first interaction people will have with each other is through a screen on some technologic device or through some kind of algorithm. On top of this new era dating, many experts in the field explain what they believe dating will be like in the year 2025. For example, ‘Microbial Matchmaking’ may be the new way to find a partner. Ben Schiller, author of “The Future of Relationships: 10 Ways We’ll Be Dating, Having Sex, and Breaking Up in 2025”, explains a theory in which our DNA and genetics will be involved. He sits down with Terry Young, CEO and Co-founder of Data Analytics Company ‘Sparks and Honey’ as Young explains some ‘intriguing ideas about relationships in 2025’ based on macro trends. He predicts that in 2025 we will be able to be matched with someone with similar genes, as this is the ‘logical upshot’ from projects like ubiome, which take our DNA and reveal our personal microbial make-ups. (Coexist, 2013) This could guarantee 100% partner satisfaction; it comes down to a science afterall!
Another popular ‘odd’ theory regarding future dating and interpersonal relationships is becoming increasingly theorized and perhaps will be happening sooner than we think. Spike Jonez showed the world what a relationship between a man and an operating system would be like in his 2013 movie Her, which is exactly what theorists are predicting for relationships in 2025. More of McGowan’s article in Kernel, explains the progression to ‘robot lovers’ in 2025. She quotes ‘Seth’ owner of FriXion (teledildonics company), in his statement regarding this new frontier. He thinks that “pretty soon, humans will be able to have full-on romantic relationships with bots. Virtual worlds like Second Life and Utherverse already allow for people’s avatars to get down with and “date” other people’s avatars, and as artificial intelligence evolves, some of those avatars could easily develop into bots. In fact, a 2014 Pew Research Center report predicted that we’ll have fully functional robot lovers by 2025. (McGowan, 2014)
This is interesting to consider, since after each few years we become ‘shock absorbed’, and we predict that by 2025, most of us would not think twice if our friend were to date a robot, which really takes the ‘personal’ out of interpersonal relationships.
It is clear that technology and dating now go hand in hand. But how do these affect the most personal of interpersonal relationships aka human connection?
Lori Cheek, who created a popular location based ‘crush’ app called ‘cheekd’, gives her thoughts on how interpersonal relationships have been altered thanks to popular apps like tinder and bumble. She thinks that on-demand dating apps like Tinder have made it increasingly difficult and for people to take the first step toward connecting with people in real life rather than on their phones. “I think we’ve lost this human connection by being online all the time,” says Cheek. “There has to be something more tangible.” (McGowan, 2014) With that being said, one thing for sure is by 2025, the dating scene will be run by technology and apps, or perhaps no person-to-person contact at all. It could be person to robot or person to screen, but either way by 2025, the dating scene will have minimal interpersonality and major be majorly technologically based.
What happens when we have all had enough with our robot partners and operating system relationships?
The future of breaking up in 2025 will be just as different compared to how it is now. Seeing how technology plays such a large role in society, it is clear there is no slowing down by 2025. Things are going to be more in your face and out there for the entire world to see. If in 2016 we cannot eat a meal without posting a photo of it, clearly future dumps in 2025 will most definitely be less personal.
In 2013, a popular ‘vine’ (short video) received widespread applause when a user named ‘Khoaliti’, filmed and posted his break up for everyone on the interwebs. [See vine video posted]. If this was happening two years ago, imagine what lays ahead for doomed couples in 2025. Laura Willcox, writer for ‘the date report’ predicted that the Google glass(es) may come in handy for break ups. She stated “We’ll all be able to see this happening from the POV of the dumper – or worse, the dumpee. It’ll be kind of like the world’s worst first-person shooter game.” (Willcox, 2013) People pay for pretty much anything presently, so it would not be entirely shocking for people to put on a break up show with their Google glasses.
Honorable mention goes to her ‘hologram dumping’ prediction, where she insists this would be a better way to get dumped, as it ensures no physical hitting or punching, yet it is still technically ‘face to face’. (2013)
Some experts even predict that relationships will not be long lasting, due to the speed of how we currently like things. Researchers at eHarmony, as well as writers at ‘coexist’ both predict that breaking up will be consumed as ‘snack media’ (quick 60 second clips). For example, eHarmony wrote a report report titled “future of dating” and it hints at this break up prediction for 2030. They said, “In 2030, could the most intimate moments of our lives be consumed as "snack media" with relationship break-ups shared with the world as looping videos on Vine? Dating will certainly become faster, smarter and perhaps even more public. But will this allow us to focus on more promising long-lasting relationships or will we sacrifice too much of our privacy?” (eharmony,2014). It is clear that this new generation of tech addicts are not too concerned with privacy, since they post personal aspects of their lives on popular apps such as ‘snap chat’, ‘Instagram’ and vine. It is clear that the future generations will be more apt to post break-up’s on these sites or whatever the hip new app is.
Overall, our predictions are backed by numerous sources and ideas on how interpersonal relationships and dating will look in 2025. It is clear that technology will play not only a big role in these relationships, but perhaps technology will be the relationship by then. Only time will tell!
Kleinman, Alexis. (2014, February) Facebook can predict with scary accuracy of your relationship can last. The Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/14/facebook- relationship- study_n_4784291.html
Emma McGowan (2014, February) Predicting the Future of Online Dating. Kernel Mag. (11)623. Retrieved from: sections/features-issue-sections/11623/future- online- dating- facebook/#sthash.o9QsUndn.dpuf
Schiller, Ben. (2013, December) The future of online dating: 10 ways we’ll be dating, having sex and breaking up in 2025. Fast Coexist. Retrieved from: http://www.fastcoexist.com/3022037/futurist-forum/the- future-of- relationships-10-ways-well-be-dating-having- sex-and-breaking-up/10
Smith, Aaron., Anderson, Monica. (2016) 5 facts about online dating. Pew Research Centre. Retrieved from http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/02/29/5- facts- about-online-dating/
Wilcox, Laura. (2013, September) Breakup vines and the future of dumping. The Date Report. Retrieved from: http://www.thedatereport.com/dating/communication/breakup- vines-and- the-future-of-dumping/