DATING APPS

DATING APPS

From American Hysteria by chelsey weber-smith

June 8, 2026 · 1h 7m

About this episode

This episode explores the history of dating technology from the 1960s to the present, examining the evolution of dating apps and their corporate control.

In the early 1990s, match.com debuted as the first major dating app on the world wide web, but it was far from the earliest way that people used technology to meet other hopeful singles. For this episode, we’ll look at what came before the apps we know today, the video dating of the 1980s as well as the original computer dating of the 1960s, and we’ll learn about the way that “dating” itself came to exist in the Victorian era when swiping left or right was done with proto-speed dating and analog opening lines. Then we’ll look at the ways that the dating apps we know today have come under control of major corporations that seek to siphon our money away by manipulating our emotions, and potentially, to use our data for far more nefarious means. ⁠⁠⁠Become a Patron⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to support our show and get early ad-free episodes and bonus content Or subscribe to American Hysteria on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us on instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠@americanhysteriapodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ to see the videos that go along with this episode Get some of our new merch at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠americanhysteria.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, all profits this month go to The Sameer Project, a Palestinian-led mutual aid group. Leave us a message on…

People in this episode

Host: Chelsey Weber-Smith

Topics covered

  • dating apps
  • history of dating
  • technology and relationships
  • corporate influence
  • emotional manipulation

Keywords

  • dating apps
  • match.com
  • video dating
  • computer dating
  • Victorian era dating
  • emotional manipulation
  • corporate control

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: match.com, The Sameer Project, American Hysteria

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