Sexonomics: What Not To Do on Tinder [Teaser]
Dating can be tricky. With all this new technology, how can you pick the right person from the thousands of options? How can you stand out with so much competition?
Luckily, economics has the answer. By learning about how people make decisions, you yourself can make better decisions and show potential dates that you’re a keeper–not a creeper. So join the new Learn Liberty Academy program on the economics of dating and learn how to use economics to land the date of your dreams.
Sexonomics: What Not To Do on Tinder [Teaser]
[guitar music plays]
[muffled, garbled talking]
Phone from the eighties: Hey, baby.
Woman: Uhhhh… [selects “Filter results”]
Man: What’s up, boo?
Woman: You don’t need to say “boo”—I’m sure your face is scary enough.
Man: You’re cray cray!
Woman: And you’re a creeper.
Man: Hey, I’m not a creeper! I’ll prove it. I’ll just send you a bathroom selfie of me with my shirt off and, uh—
Woman: So much no! I’d rather see a pic of you with the lights off.
Man: Okay, well, how about a selfie of me with my dad’s Tesla?
Woman: How about a selfie of you deleting this app!
Ninos Malek: Hey, guys!
Man: Dude, wait your turn, Chronicles of Riddick, I’m about to seal the deal!
Woman: (sarcastically) Yeah, he was totes about to score.
Man: Really?!
Woman: Don’t leave! Someone needs to save me from this registered text offender.
Ninos Malek: Dating sure is tricky these days.
Man: Yeah, nice guys finish last.
Ninos Malek: I’m sure you’ll do just fine.
Woman: LOL!
Man: Hey!!
Ninos: It might be the way you spell ‘crazy’.
Woman: Mmhmm.
Ninos: A woman might interpret a spelling error as a sign—a sign that you don’t have an education, that you’re unemployed… or that you watch too much iCarly.
Woman: [laughs]
Ninos: In economics, we call it signaling. See, in order to make the most of dating, we have to—
Man: [shows pictures of muscles]
Ninos: NO!
Man: Well, uh, 27 of my followers on Instagram would totally disagree.
Ninos: No. You have to understand how people make decisions—and for that, you need economics. Marginal utility, scarcity…
Man: (yawning) Some NoDoz?
Ninos: Let me put this in a way you’ll understand, kid: Economics will help you get a date.
Man: That’s right, ladies love the cheddar–paper or plastic!
Woman: [annoyed sigh]
Ninos: Economics can also help you find love.
Woman: [laughs]
Ninos: In fact, economics can help you with all aspects of your romantic life! You see, once we understand how other people make decisions, we begin to understand how to make better decisions for ourselves.
I’m Ninos Malek, professor of economics at De Anza College and an economics lecturer at San Jose State University, and I’d like to invite you to a new Learn Liberty Academy program where students can explore the intersection of love and economics by watching videos from leading academics and experts. Just remember, when it comes to dating, people are usually just looking for more information about each other. Information acquisition.
Man: [displaying a picture of Robert Pattinson] Alright, so uh… pic for pic?
Woman: [displays picture of Jennifer Lawrence]
Ninos: Of course, the information isn’t always accurate. You guys do realize this won’t hold up when you meet face to face, right?
Man: You mean, like, FaceTime?
Ninos: No! In person! Physically in person!
Woman: Okay, so you want to meet me at a bar?
Man: Yeah!
Woman: I was talking to the professor.
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