FROM THE WEB: The Problem With Dating Site Algorithms

The algorithms used by dating companies to pair up compatible users are almost meaningless, according to a recent article published on The Washington Post.

Written by digital culture critic Caitlin Dewey, the post questions the efficiency of dating site algorithms, saying research suggests the systems used to match users are only “negligibly better at matching people than random chance”.

Dewey refers to a 2012 paper published by Northwestern University, which called for better regulations on claims about the advantages of dating site algorithms.

She also looks at the issues with how dating algorithms generate matches, explaining the problematic effect of matching people based on their personalities alone.

Dewey says: “How can the algorithm account for a basic, well-documented quirk of human nature: that people are actually pretty whimsical about whom they’re attracted to?”

Read the full article here.