What online dating can teach us about fighting racism

It's not easy overcoming racial prejudices and fears, but an emoticon message may briefly help

Couple on laptop
(Image credit: (Thinkstock))

It's no secret that online dating provides its own unique set of insights into human mating behavior. For example, within my first month on OkCupid, it was revealed to me all men add two inches to their heights and describe themselves as fun, while all women are terrified of posting photos of themselves with children for fear of seeming like they're ticking biological time bombs.

But while those concerns almost exclusively remain in the world of online dating, one of the most robust patterns actually transcends our real world interactions: Online daters tend to self-segregate and stick to people within their race.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Emily Shire is chief researcher for The Week magazine. She has written about pop culture, religion, and women and gender issues at publications including Slate, The Forward, and Jewcy.