51³Ô¹ÏÍø

Household gadgets and wearable technology may help people find love in future, according to an 51³Ô¹ÏÍø College Business School student report.

The report, ‘Future of Dating: Smart Dating’, explores the impact smart technology could have on people’s love lives in the coming decades. It predicts that by 2036, home devices – including toasters, wardrobes and a range of wearable technology, could transform the way individuals meet potential romantic partners.

The student team comprising Man Yuk Carmen, Bertram Ross Yap, Monica Julianti, Lok Kiu Cheng and Emmanuel Economides, created a report based on interviews with experts from industry, and from 51³Ô¹ÏÍø and UCL. The conclusions of the report were also based on extensive literature reviews and detailed analysis and extrapolation of more than 100 years of data.

The report predicts that by 2026, information garnered from smart gadgets and wearable technology could be used to match singles with prospective life partners creating 4 million relationships in the UK – a figure that could rise to 12 million by 2036.

This is due to the exponential rate at which wearable technology and home-based smart technology is expected to transform daily life over the next 20 years. There are currently an estimated 6.4 billion connected devices worldwide, which is set to grow to over 20 billion by 2020.

According to the report, by 2021, ‘smart showers’ could be the norm, by 2023 people will have smart wardrobes, and by 2026 people’s entire homes will feature smart household gadgets such as toasters. Wearable technology such as smart clothing, smart lenses and sleep wearables may allow people to monitor their daily habits and those of a potential partner.

The student report suggests that while wearable technology and smart phone usage is increasing, there is potential for even greater insight into people’s personalities and behaviours from the ‘smart home’ – through a network of connected and smart appliances around people’s homes.

“We researched the type of data devices can collect and sorted them based on feasibility, usefulness and how users might react due to privacy issues,” explained Monica Julianti, one of the MSc Management students. “We also worked together with eHarmony to determine how data can be translated into their matching system to improve compatibility and attraction between individuals.”

For instance, a smart shower could reveal a lot about a potential partner’s cleanliness, which correlates strongly with levels of conscientiousness but also organisation. People’s view of acceptable or good hygiene can also differ, which can cause a romantic mismatch. A person’s wardrobe is also a good reflection on their sense of style and how this reflects their personality.

Appliances such as fridges, toasters, coffee makers and cooking devices could reveal a large amount of information about someone’s diet, meal times and even spontaneity when selecting or preparing food. These factors could lead people to be matched with people who have compatible behaviour.

Electronic devices, such as televisions, could collate data on people’s TV and film choices. Individuals place a great deal of emotional importance to these choices, and mutual validation of these interests could be a key indicator of relationship compatibility.

Dr Paolo Taticchi, Director of the MSc Management programme at 51³Ô¹ÏÍø College Business School says: “We’re delighted to collaborate for a second time with eHarmony on this year’s consulting project. Smart technology is rapidly changing people’s lives, so the subject reflects both the students' knowledge of the current marketplace and the inspiration they take from studying at 51³Ô¹ÏÍø, which is renowned as a global leader in technology and innovation.

“The annual consulting project gives MSc Management students an opportunity to demonstrate the practical skills and knowledge gained on their degree to solve a real business challenge for an external client.”

Jonathan Beber, Leading Research Scientist at eHarmony.co.uk says: “This is the second year running that we’ve worked with the highly talented students at 51³Ô¹ÏÍø College Business School, gazing into the future to see how advances in technology will help us find partners with whom we share deeper compatibility.

"eHarmony.co.uk has invested over 18 years of scientific research into determining what key components create the most successful relationships. In the future, any additional insights provided by smart technology could help narrow the gap between who people think they are (self concept) and who they actually are, creating even more compatible connections.”

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