The Tinder Effect
Today we will travel to the intersection of money, technology, and sex.
Conceived at this juncture is one of the most consequential inventions of this generation , perhaps of modern history — Tinder.
Does that statement sound hyperbolic? Maybe, but only because no one has connected the dots.
The forces that gave rise to Tinder’s popularity remain poorly understood. Its ramifications are still in the making. Few appreciate just how influential these apps have been in molding modern concepts of culture, love, and — oh yes — generating enormous profits.
This is the story of the Tinder Effect.
In the Beginning
The concept of matchmaking is not new. For as long as the institution of matrimony has existed, various middlemen have facilitated connections between couples. Typically these matchmakers, often of religious affiliation, mediated the partner search for a prearranged fee.
The system was virtually the same across all ancient cultures. Families and matchmakers assumed total control over the marriage process. Spousal consent was of little or no relevance. It wasn’t until 1140 that a Benedictine monk proposed the radical idea that couples should actually like one another.
