Five Stories About the Changing Landscape of Love

Read about the demise of American romance, second-chance couples, and more.

Five Stories About the Changing Landscape of Love

This is an edition of The Atlantic Daily, a newsletter that guides you through the biggest stories of the day, helps you discover new ideas, and recommends the best in culture. Sign up for it here.

Finding love is rarely a straightforward journey—and a polarized world of social media and dating apps can make it even harder. In today’s reading list, our editors have compiled stories on the demise of American romance, second-chance couples, being the “other woman,” and more.


Your Reading List

The Slow, Quiet Demise of American Romance

Long before calls for a 4B-style sex strike, men and women in the United States were already giving up on dating.

By Faith Hill

The Type of Love That Makes People Happiest

When it comes to lasting romance, passion has nothing on friendship.

By Arthur C. Brooks

Dear Therapist: I Was the Other Woman

I know I sound naive, but this wasn’t like a “normal” affair.

By Lori Gottlieb

The Woman Who Made Online Dating Into a ‘Science’

Almost 20 years ago, Helen Fisher helped revolutionize dating. She has no regrets.

By Kaitlyn Tiffany

What Second-Chance Couples Know About Love

Getting back together with an ex is risky—but it might pay off.

By Faith Hill


The Week Ahead

  1. Kraven the Hunter, a superhero film about the journey one man goes on to become the best hunter (in theaters Friday)
  2. No Good Deed, a dark comedy show starring Lisa Kudrow about three families who fight to buy the same villa (premiering on Netflix on Friday)
  3. Custodians of Wonder, a book by Eliot Stein based on his BBC Travel column about the people who help keep alive ancient customs and traditions (out Tuesday)

Essay

Illustration of an eye with a hand placing puzzle pieces within it
Mikel Jaso

A ‘Radical’ Approach to Reclaiming Your Attention

By Kaitlyn Tiffany

To enter the Strother School of Radical Attention, you have to walk through what has come to be known as “influencer alley.” Any time of day or night, dozens of people will be standing along this brick-paved part of Brooklyn, snapping the same Instagram photo with the Manhattan Bridge and East River in the background. There’s nothing wrong with this, but it struck me as a little funny while I headed to a course about unraveling the coercive powers of social media, phones, and digital life.

Read the full article.


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This image from the James Webb Space Telescope captures the sharpest infrared images to date of the Horsehead Nebula, and a night sky full of distant galaxies beyond.
This image from the James Webb Space Telescope captures the sharpest infrared images to date of the Horsehead Nebula, and a night sky full of distant galaxies beyond. (ESA / Webb, NASA, CSA, K. Misselt, and A. Abergel)

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