Dating in the Digital Age : A Research Experiment
THE PROJECT
As mentioned earlier , the initial idea for this project came about after my move to New York , where I quickly harnessed a greater fascination with the various aspects of daily life in the city . I also came to realize how obsessed New York , as a pop culture identity , seems to be with the concept of dating , as there are many films and television shows dedicated to addressing the plight and hilarity of finding love in the city . To name just a few cinematic examples : The Seven Year Itch ( 1955 ), Breakfast at Tiffany ’ s ( 1961 ), Annie Hall ( 1977 ), When Harry Met Sally ( 1989 ), You ’ ve Got Mail ( 1998 ), Serendipity ( 2001 ), Hitch ( 2005 ), and Friends with Benefits ( 2011 ), along with television shows like Living Single ( 1993 – 1998 ), Friends ( 1994 – 2004 ), Sex and the City ( 1998 – 2004 ), How I Met Your Mother ( 2005 – 2014 ), Girls ( 2012 – 2017 ), and Master of None ( 2015 – 2017 ).
Granted , New York ’ s iconic scenery and larger-than-life persona offers the audience a unique character in and of itself , which serves as additional appeal in utilizing the city as a backdrop in so many films and TV shows . In turn , the city ’ s persona , coupled with the ongoing popularity of romantic comedies , makes for a successful cinematic formula that has been deployed time and time again . Nonetheless , I can only imagine the real chaotic nature of attempting to navigate the city on a full-time basis , particularly if you are in the market for love , which is one of the reasons I wanted to obtain a greater understanding of the nuances , however topical , of urban life through the intersection of dating , communication , and digital technologies with a specific focus on Tinder .
I set up a Tinder profile using a fake Facebook account that included a fictitious name and age ; however , I did use a few real , yet somewhat elusive photos of myself . I created a digital
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