Scott Galloway profgalloway. Neither the sex lives of young American men nor their relative rate of college attendance is that striking by itself. Except to the men involved. What should trouble all of us is what these statistics portend. Families are the foundational element of society, and most successful families are the product of an intimate relationship between two adults. The most important decision most of us make in life is whether and whom to marry, and the most important person in our adult lives is our mate.
Married people live longer and are happier than single people. The path to forging these relationships typically involves sex. What we need to be thoughtful about is how our policies and attitudes ensure that the most people have the opportunity and motivation to pursue long-term, productive relationships. We used to meet potential mates at school, at work, through friends, and out in the world.
No longer. And online dating … shares flaws with other technologies that scale our instincts. Algorithms are indifferent to social interests, and that, coupled with human nature, gave us January 6 and QAnon. Dating apps sort potential partners into a tiny group of haves and a titanic group of have-nots. If it were a country, Tinder would be among the most unequal in the world. What is driving this division? Regardless of how we meet potential mates, we sort them in large part based on looks and earning potential.
Algorithms magnify that effect. Women are particularly concerned with the earning potential of future mates, across cultures and over time. A study found that in 37 countries and sub-groups, women consistently value the financial capacity of a potential partner more than men do. In the U. In sum, women mate socioeconomically horizontally and up, and men do it horizontally and down. Marriage rates in the U.
Poor men. This is good for nobody. So what? If this were just about fairness or feelings, then fine, let there be churn. But there are several externalities that could have profound effects on our commonwealth and the global community. First, less partnering and propagation means fewer babies. Declining birth rates are toxic for economic health. For a glimpse at the declining-birth-rate future, look at Japan, where birth and marriage rates have fallen to record lows.
