Modern dating is miserable. Can it be fixed?

Modern dating is miserable. Can it be fixed?

June 24, 2026 · 37 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the impact of dating apps and cultural shifts on modern romance with guest Kat Rosenfield.

Host Megan McArdle talks with culture writer Kat Rosenfield about how dating apps, therapy-speak and online gender wars have changed romance — making flirtation feel risky, rejection feel catastrophic and desire feel suspect. They discuss the lost art of approaching people in real life, what older courtship norms got right and Rosenfield’s new novel, “ How to Survive in the Woods .” Subscribe to The Washington Post here .

People in this episode

Host: Megan McArdle

Guest: Kat Rosenfield

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Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: How to Survive in the Woods

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