Economising Romance In Contemporary Society

The attraction of dating apps – and the hugely competitive market that exists – highlights one of the ways dating has changed in the age of the internet. Social media has played its part – the simplicity of a tweet or a filtered Instagram photo – making our social interactions bite-sized, calculated and efficient.

The renaissance of speed dating in recent years comes as little surprise. A recent speed dating Manchester event in the UK, for example, promised singletons the chance to meet up to 15 dates in a stylish, intimate canal-side bar.

Guests are greeted and given a numbered badge which matches a table. One group will rotate around the tables every four minutes while the other stays seated. At the end of the night, you mark who you’d like to date on a card. Afterwards, guests log into a secure website where they can register their favourites and see if there are any matches.

From London to New York and Sydney, the fast-track to love appears to be the perfect antidote in a world that is otherwise dominated by digitized interaction. Fun socializing with likeminded people, speed dating has, since it began in the late 1990s in Beverly Hills, become well-known all around the world.

In a world that is busy and exhausting, speed dating’s rejuvenated popularity is certainly linked with our growing need to economise our time in contemporary society.

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or management of EconoTimes.