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cover of episode History (and Future) of Dating
People
A
Anna Kirova
F
Francesca Beauman
K
Kate Lister
Topics
Kate Lister: 本期节目探讨了孤独之心广告的历史以及约会文化的演变，采访了孤独之心广告历史方面的专家Francesca Beauman和约会应用Feeld的首席执行官Anna Kirova。节目涵盖了孤独之心广告的起源、发展、社会影响以及约会应用的现状和未来趋势。 Francesca Beauman: 孤独之心广告的历史比人们想象的要久远，可以追溯到17世纪。早期广告主要由男性发布，内容多与经济利益相关，女性广告则体现出当时的社会地位和经济困境。随着社会变迁，广告内容也逐渐多元化，反映了人们对爱情和关系的不同需求。孤独之心广告也曾引发过一系列犯罪事件，例如诈骗和谋杀。 Anna Kirova: 约会应用改变了人们的约会方式，使约会更加便捷和普遍。然而，一些人开始对约会应用的交易性感到厌倦。Feeld与金赛研究所合作的研究显示，不同世代的人们对关系的定义和偏好存在差异，Z世代对一夫一妻制关系的兴趣高于预期，而婴儿潮一代则更倾向于朋友关系。未来，约会将融合线上和线下模式，并更加包容多元化的关系形式。 Francesca Beauman: 本人对孤独之心广告的历史进行了深入研究，发现其历史可以追溯到1695年，远早于人们的普遍认知。研究过程中，我查阅了大量的报纸和杂志，发现了许多鲜为人知的广告案例，这些案例反映了不同时期人们的择偶观和社会风貌。我发现，孤独之心广告的出现与新技术的应用密切相关，例如印刷术和互联网。人们总是利用新技术来寻找伴侣和建立关系。早期广告主要由男性发布，内容多与经济利益相关，女性广告则体现出当时的社会地位和经济困境。随着社会变迁，广告内容也逐渐多元化，反映了人们对爱情和关系的不同需求。孤独之心广告也曾引发过一系列犯罪事件，例如诈骗和谋杀。 Anna Kirova: Feeld是一个致力于为好奇用户提供多元化约会体验的平台。我们与金赛研究所合作进行了一项研究，旨在了解不同世代用户对关系的偏好和看法。研究结果显示，Z世代对一夫一妻制关系的兴趣高于预期，而婴儿潮一代则更倾向于朋友关系。这表明，人们对关系的定义和偏好正在发生变化，约会应用需要适应这种变化。未来，约会将融合线上和线下模式，并更加包容多元化的关系形式。我们致力于为用户提供更多个性化和人性化的服务，帮助他们找到理想的关系。

Deep Dive

Key Insights

How far back can the history of lonely hearts ads be traced?

The earliest known lonely hearts ad dates back to 1695, appearing in a pamphlet called 'A Collection for Improvement of Husbandry and Trade' by John Horton.

What was the content of one of the earliest lonely hearts ads in 1695?

A gentleman about 30 years old, with a good estate, was looking for a young gentlewoman with a fortune of £3,000 or thereabouts, and he promised to make a settlement to her content.

Why were lonely hearts ads often placed in coffee houses in the 18th century?

Coffee houses offered anonymity, allowing people to drop off replies to lonely hearts ads without being seen by neighbors or colleagues, making them a popular location for receiving responses.

How did the demographics of lonely hearts ads change during the Victorian era?

During the Victorian era, lonely hearts ads became more widespread, appearing in rural and urban areas, and were placed by people from various professions and social backgrounds, not just the well-off urbanites.

What role did lonely hearts ads play during and after World War I?

During and after World War I, lonely hearts ads provided a way for soldiers and war widows to find companions, helping them cope with the shortage of potential partners due to the high number of war casualties.

What was one of the most notorious crimes associated with lonely hearts ads?

Belle Gunness, an American serial killer, used lonely hearts ads to lure over 40 men to her farm in Indiana, where she murdered, dismembered, and buried them under the ground for her pigs to eat.

How have the social norms and language of dating ads evolved from the 17th century to the present day?

In the 17th century, ads were primarily about money and practicality. By the 1920s, they became known as 'lonely hearts' ads and included more personal and emotional content. Today, dating apps use a wide range of abbreviations and more casual language.

Why did dating apps become more mainstream and less stigmatized compared to traditional lonely hearts ads?

Dating apps provide a more equal and less awkward experience, as everyone must put themselves out there and the anonymity and barrier to entry reduce the stigma and fear of judgment.

What surprising finding did Feeld's joint report with the Kinsey Institute reveal about Gen Z's relationship preferences?

23% of Gen Z Feeld members prefer monogamy, compared to just 12% of boomers, showing a surprising interest in monogamy among a generation known for exploring non-traditional relationships.

How do older generations use dating apps differently, according to Feeld's research?

A significant portion of boomers, nearly 30%, are looking for friends with benefits relationships, suggesting a preference for casual, no-strings-attached connections.

What does the future of dating and dating apps look like, according to Anna Kirova, CEO of Feeld?

The future of dating will likely blend online and offline experiences, allowing for diverse and personalized relationships. People will feel more comfortable exploring and building structures based on their current feelings and needs.

Shownotes Transcript

The history of lonely hearts ads might be a lot deeper than you'd expect.

For as long as people have been printing newspapers, people (read: men) were enquiring about potential partners.

By the time the culture took off in the 18th century, how were people looking for love? How did the First World War boost the medium? And what are some of the strangest dating stories from this history?

Joining Kate today is Francesca Beauman), author of Shapely Ankle Preferr’d: a history of the Lonely Hearts advertisement), to find out how lonely heart ads created a new way to date. 

In part two of the episode, Kate's joined by Ana Kirova, CEO of the dating app Feeld, who recently published a report )with the Kinsey Institute on where dating culture is today, and where it could lead in the future.

This episode was edited by Tom Delargy, the producer was Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.

All music from Epidemic Sounds/All3 Media.

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