# Reading Response 7
## Nov 01 Tue - Finding Someone and Living Alone
### *Online Dating, Big Lies, & Living Alone*
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Correlation or causation?
- The relationship between the rate at which people find their significant others through online dating and the rate at which people live alone

While these articles do not necessarily define this relationship as one directly causing another, it feels safe to say they are related in some capacity. As [Thompson](https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/07/online-dating-taking-over-everything/594337/) wrote, people no longer meet their partners through friends, friends of friends, friends of friends of friends, etc. In an increasingly digital era, why would you go through so many different channels if a calculated algorithm is *right* at your fingertips? The previous methods obviously did not stop entirely, however. Thompson summarized that "it merely came along as that dusty old shroud was already unraveling."

This "dusty old shroud" can be attributed to cultural values and norms -- similar to the changing norms surrounding living situations. Americans historically have not lived alone. As [Chamie](https://thehill.com/opinion/finance/563786-living-alone-in-america/) wrote, in 1850 only 74,000 adults lived alone. In 2021, however, this number has climbed to 36 million people -- changing this percentage of the population from less than 1% to an astounding 28%.

It is fascinating to consider the connections between people getting married at older ages to the use of dating apps to the percentage of people living alone. The American Dream is no longer getting married young, having a family, and living in a beautiful house. It is much more important to be stable in both your financial situation and your personal situation before becoming involved with someone else.


I would be wrong to not mention the recent effects that COVID have brought into this world -- specifically onto online dating and living alone. With forced isolation, interaction with people becomes harder and harder. This then reinforces dating apps as the cultural norm as it is no longer possible to meet people in real life. Be careful though, as your friend would not lie to you about their friend's height when they are trying to set you two up -- but he definitely will lie on his own dating profile.


While the [Rudder](https://theblog.okcupid.com/the-big-lies-people-tell-in-online-dating-a9e3990d6ae2) article updated since its posting in 2010, it was only updated to "reflect OkCupid's current values." First of all, I am curious to know what did not reflect their current values. But secondly, I am even more curious if the rate at which people lie on dating apps has increased, stayed the same, or decreased in the twelve years since this data has been collected. Data is only applicable if it stands the test of time -- and I would love for OkCupid to update this article with new information from the past decade.