FACEBOOK & MATRIMONY

Don’t Fear, Facebook is here!

JoAnna Bennett

JoAnna Bennett, O’Brien Communications Group

27 September 2018

You know times are changing when you read an article about a significant drop in the divorce rate in America. My generation grew up knowing that 50 percent of marriages ended in divorce. And while my parents remain married to this day, several of my friends had more painful stories to tell. While we may not be able to pinpoint one exact reason for the decline, there’s one recurring theme:

Fewer people are getting married in the first place.

We could theorize all day about why this is true. Our generation is jaded, poor, smart, or even unable to commit. With apps like Tinder and websites like Match.com, dating has become less about first impressions and a little luck, and more about algorithms, selfies with filters and Photoshop, or catchy one-liners in your inbox. Surprise! Surprise! More aspects of our lives are being manipulated by our data, the data of others and, you guessed it – the internet.

I’m not sure if Mark Zuckerburg has a lot of matrimony attorneys in his family or if he’s just trying to exploit us (and our data) at an even greater level, but he’s decided to take on matchmaking. That’s right, Facebook will be offering a dating option that links right to your account. If Facebook Dating is a fruitful idea, think of all the data it’ll be able to collect. Maybe enough data to uncover why we’re getting divorced less … or why we’re getting married less.

I can see the targeted advertising campaigns now. They’ll spam your friends with deals on becoming ordained. For your future mother-in-law, there’ll be weight loss ads, photography samples, or dress options. Let’s not even get started for the bride and groom. You know what? This may open a whole new advertising platform for Facebook. And Facebook would have to get your explicit consent prior to starting the new profile. Touché Mark, touché.

If giving away your data doesn’t bother you and you’re looking for love, the new Facebook Dating option may be for you. I’m grateful I’m helping millennials continue to decrease the divorce rate, so I won’t need to make that choice.