This research examines how online dating technology affects the experience of mate selection and courtship among Muslim American women. Sixteen individuals who (1) self-identified as Muslim American women and (2) were actively using online dating websites participated in interviews about their experiences. Qualitative data analysis suggests that these women balance the perceived advantages of online dating (e.g. increased individual agency in initiating romantic relationships, increased control over interaction, greater confidentiality and privacy) with their desire to maintain their cultural and religious courtship practices. Additionally, participants identified challenges they faced with online dating, including social stigma, fear of others’ misrepresentation, and frustrations with technology. This study contributes toward a deeper understanding of how new technologies integrate with existing religions and cultures and gives insights into the nature of technological change and adaptation in society more generally.

A small cottage industry emerging within the larger gig economy is online dating assistant (ODA) companies that allow paying clients to outsource the labor associated with online dating, including profile development, date selection and matching, and even interaction (i.e., ODAs assume their clients’ identities to exchange messages with other [unsuspecting] daters to secure face-to-face dates). The newness of this industry presents an opportunity to investigate the lived experience of remote employees working in an up-and-coming virtual organization. Through interviews with six ODAs, we explored motivations, day-to-day workflow, and development of work identities. Analysis uncovered unique challenges ODAs faced when performing the “human-based” tasks of online dating, which differed starkly from other popular services being bought and sold in the gig economy (e.g., rideshare, food delivery). Findings also show how ODAs engage in pragmatic and critical sensemaking as they navigate the specific challenges associated with ODA labor, and those created by remote work and gig labor, more generally.

The increasingly connected world calls into question how the mobile technology that is relied on for so many daily tasks also transforms how people meet romantic partners, interact with them, and decide whether to establish or forgo relationships. This chapter explores how romantic relationship processes and outcomes are simultaneously altered, supported, and facilitated by applications native to mobile devices. The authors begin with a description of mobile dating, highlighting the features and affordances characteristic to mobile dating applications, as opposed to online dating. They then examine how individuals use mobile communication technology in the relational initiation phase: (1) goals and motivations of mobile app use, (2) impression formation and self-presentation on mobile apps, (3) mate selection and decision-making during relational initiation, and (4) messaging and interaction. Throughout the chapter, the effects of culture, identity, and gender are also explored. The authors conclude with suggestions for continued research into mobile dating.

No abstract