{"id":97067,"date":"2026-02-12T04:00:09","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T08:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/?p=97067"},"modified":"2026-02-13T09:52:03","modified_gmt":"2026-02-13T13:52:03","slug":"swipe-right-for-love-communication-professor-decodes-the-algorithms-of-modern-romance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/02_12_2026\/swipe-right-for-love-communication-professor-decodes-the-algorithms-of-modern-romance","title":{"rendered":"Swipe Right for Love: Communication Professor Decodes the Algorithms of Modern Romance"},"content":{"rendered":"

Valentine\u2019s Day is Saturday, and for many, the path to romance no longer begins with the trope of a coffee shop meetup or a setup by a mutual friend. It starts with an algorithm, a swipe and then a notification.<\/p>\n

Navigating the digital jungle of “ghosting,” “breadcrumbing” and “catfishing” can feel overwhelming for those on the path to finding their significant other. Dr. Tasha Dunn is here to help.<\/p>\n

\"Portrait

If dating feels harder today than it did for previous generations, it isn\u2019t just your imagination, said Dr. Tasha Dunn, an associate professor in the Department of Communication and Media at UToledo.\u00a0It\u2019s math.<\/p><\/div>\n

Dunn, an associate professor in the Department of Communication and Media at UToledo, focuses her expertise on the intersection of interpersonal communication and media studies.<\/p>\n

She has published award-winning research on how we navigate relationships through digital means, including the “dark side” of Snapchat and how we narrate our lives online, and her popular UToledo course, “Modern Dating: Technology and the Transformation of Human Connection,” explores how technology has fundamentally rewritten the longstanding rules of courtship.<\/p>\n

Dunn isn\u2019t teaching \u201cModern Dating\u201d this semester, but she is preparing for its return this fall.<\/p>\n

In the course, students can expect to engage in a \u201cShark Tank\u201d-style project where they pitch concepts for new dating apps that solve modern problems, like “Promptly,” an app designed to get users off their phones and onto real dates, or “Chameleon,” which prioritizes personality over photos.<\/p>\n

Students will also conduct “happily-ever-after” interviews with couples who met online, analyzing what made those relationships succeed, where others failed.<\/p>\n

Dunn\u2019s passion for matchmaking started long before she entered academia.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was a theater kid growing up and my first big role was Dolly Levi in \u2018Hello, Dolly!\u2019 \u2014 a professional meddler and matchmaker extraordinaire,\u201d Dunn said. \u201cIf I weren\u2019t a professor, I would absolutely be a dating coach, helping folks smoothly and healthily navigate the continually evolving and often challenging terrain of modern dating.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love<\/em> love \u2014 I always have,\u201d she added. \u201cI am a sucker for a good love story, and when I get to be part of that story, it\u2019s even better.\u201d<\/p>\n

For those wanting a crash course now on how to survive the Valentine\u2019s season online, she offers these tips:<\/p>\n

The Paradox of Choice<\/strong><\/p>\n

If dating feels harder today than it did for previous generations, it isn\u2019t just your imagination. It\u2019s math.<\/p>\n

Dunn said that modern daters are often confronted by the “Paradox of Choice” \u2014 the concept that an abundance of options leads to anxiety rather than satisfaction.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the context of modern dating, a few taps on a smartphone can immerse users in an ocean of romantic possibilities that initially feels exciting but often becomes overwhelming,\u201d she said. \u201cThis leads to \u2018decision fatigue,\u2019 or \u2018analysis paralysis.\u2019 Rather than increasing satisfaction, an abundance of choices often exhausts individuals, leading them to delay or avoid making a decision altogether.\u201d<\/p>\n

This creates specific dating archetypes that Dunn discusses in her class: the “hesitator,” someone who avoids dating until they feel they are “ready,” even though they never fully are, and the “maximizer,” someone who is terrified to settle because a “better” option might be just one swipe away.<\/p>\n

Hacking the Algorithm<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"

Dr. Tasha Dunn will teach COMM 3770: Modern Dating in fall semester. The course is open to all students interested in the science, history and future of human connection.<\/p><\/div>\n

For those stuck in the swipe cycle, Dunn offers research-backed strategies to improve your “digital well-being” and your odds of finding a match.<\/p>\n

Her first piece of advice? Stop trying to filter for perfection; instead, loosen the restrictions on your settings and change your mindset when viewing profiles.<\/p>\n

\u201cDating apps make it easy to filter possibilities out before they ever have a chance,\u201d Dunn said. \u201cIn the physical world, we often connect with people who aren\u2019t initially our \u2018type,\u2019 and those unexpected encounters can turn into meaningful relationships. Dating apps never give you the chance to be proven wrong.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs you evaluate potential matches, look for what\u2019s attractive, rather than what\u2019s not. Look for reasons to say yes. Put yourself in a position to be surprised.\u201d<\/p>\n

A Valentine\u2019s Reality Check<\/strong><\/p>\n

Whether you are single, partnered or “it’s complicated,” Dunn said Valentine\u2019s Day offers a timely reminder that love isn\u2019t just about finding the right person: it\u2019s about communicating intentionally.<\/p>\n

For those already in relationships, she suggests practicing “digital well-being” by making the relationship visible online (a digital signal of commitment) and putting the phone away when you are together.<\/p>\n

And for those who are still searching?<\/p>\n

\u201cMy hope is that students\u2019 pursuits of love, should they choose to embark on them, are not only well-informed, but also easier to navigate and ultimately more fulfilling,\u201d Dunn said.<\/p>\n

Dunn will teach COMM 3770: Modern Dating in fall semester. The course is open to all students interested in the science, history and future of human connection.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"Portrait<\/a>

Just in time for Valentine\u2019s Day, Dr. Tasha Dunn offers expert advice on navigating dating apps, avoiding \u2018decision fatigue\u2019 and finding meaningful connection in a digital world.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":878,"featured_media":97069,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[50,498,1,7],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97067"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/878"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=97067"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97067\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":97070,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97067\/revisions\/97070"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/97069"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=97067"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=97067"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=97067"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}