With the advent of the smartphone, nearly everything can be accomplished with a few taps of your thumb: ordering food, calling a cab and even finding your true love. In order to investigate modern dating, comedian and NBC’s “Parks and Recreation” actor Aziz Ansari worked with NYU sociology professor Eric Klinenberg to gather data for their co-written book, “Modern Romance.” Through focus groups, online discussion forums on Reddit and interviews with both experts and ordinary people in cities all over the world, Ansari and Klinenberg attempted to capture the benefits and complications of dating in contemporary society.
However, Ansari and Klinenberg do not claim to have written a book relatable to everyone. In fact, they preemptively disclose to readers their decision to focus on heterosexual, middle-class, university graduates in their 20s and 30s. While Klinenberg’s expertise in sociology offers a more objective analysis of dating, the voice of the book belongs to Ansari. The result is an incredibly funny book about dating in the smartphone age that also serves as a credible sociology study, with graphs, empirical data and statistics.
Throughout the book, Ansari shares his personal experiences or thoughts. In the first chapter, he humorously recalls the time he was interested in a girl who never replied to his text messages, leading him to a flurry of anxiety and doubtful thoughts: “I should have typed ‘Hey’ with two y’s, not just one! […] Did Tanya’s phone fall into a river/trash compactor/volcano? Did Tanya fall into a river/trash compactor/volcano?? Oh no, Tanya has died.”
Whether you’re single, in a relationship or somewhere in between, anyone who can relate to the frustrations of text messaging will enjoy this book.
Kim is a member of the class of 2017.
