#humanrelationships — Public Fediverse posts

PsyPost: New psychology research reveals the “Goldilocks rule” of online dating profiles. “In our recent research, we examined how the amount of information people disclose in dating profiles shapes a crucial judgment: Does this person seem to want casual sex or a committed relationship? We also asked whether that impression changes what viewers themselves want from the profile owner.”

PsyPost: New psychology research reveals the “Goldilocks rule” of online dating profiles. “In our recent research, we examined how the amount of information people disclose in dating profiles shapes a crucial judgment: Does this person seem to want casual sex or a committed relationship? We also asked whether that impression changes what viewers themselves want from the profile owner.”

Associated Press: She knew he wasn’t real. She was in love with him anyway. One woman’s story of a romance scam. “Romance scams are on the rise across the United States. Last year, more than 49,000 Americans reported losing a collective $1.3 billion to romance scams, according to available FTC data shared with The Associated Press. That’s an increase of at least 14% and likely more from […]

Associated Press: She knew he wasn’t real. She was in love with him anyway. One woman’s story of a romance scam. “Romance scams are on the rise across the United States. Last year, more than 49,000 Americans reported losing a collective $1.3 billion to romance scams, according to available FTC data shared with The Associated Press. That’s an increase of at least 14% and likely more from […]

Spectrum News 1: Kentucky launches domestic violence data dashboard. “Kentucky has launched a new public dashboard that allows users to track domestic violence data by county and region, according to a news release. The dashboard also provides Kentuckians with information on shelters, support services, offenders and law enforcement outcomes.”

Spectrum News 1: Kentucky launches domestic violence data dashboard. “Kentucky has launched a new public dashboard that allows users to track domestic violence data by county and region, according to a news release. The dashboard also provides Kentuckians with information on shelters, support services, offenders and law enforcement outcomes.”

The Dance of Dissonance

Sometimes 
I find myself lost
at the end of 
a confusing day 
trying to decipher labyrinthian relations 
and coming up short,
suddenly wondering 
how a day I thought good 
was not for another,
caught up in 
opposing realities 
where mine is suspect
and empathy is a struggle.

The brain fog 
of past illness 
has left its trailing 
fingers over my head
like the cigarette smoke 
of the man I see one morning standing with his back to me on the dock outside the store where I used to work 
and I wonder why he is there. 

I am suspicious, feeling responsible for what is no longer mine to care about, so I observe, yet remain at a distance and leave without really discovering if his presence is innocent. 

Such is the dance of dissonance.
I am close enough to see your back but too far to see your face clearly,
afraid that if I look too closely I will not like what  I see or that I will recognize some ugly part of me.

I want to hear 
that which runs 
counter to my experience 
but I must be honest and say that my capacity to understand the complexities of human behavior is diminishing. 

I long for circles that are completely safe,
where the people I pass on the walk home illicit in me feelings other than fear,
lust, guilt, or judgement,
all of which mirror 
the overwhelming sense
of dislike
I feel from the
world, and from myself perhaps.

It is my inability to not receive everything personally, this overwhelming sadness,  unprotected by my hypervigilance, where I still seem to miss what is most important, and no matter how much I try to hold everything together, I cannot keep things from unraveling. 

How do I continue to remain caring and yet not take on burdens that are not mine to carry? 

This then is the strange choreography of relationship, the stumbling herky-jerky movements of a marionette pulled by invisible strings, revealed in the bright lights of another angry stage.

Yet we dance. 
Through the pain of revelation.
The occasional stepping on of toes.
In the percieved exposure of audience eyes.
Shedding these inadequate masks and costumes one by one.
Finding our own rhythm in the strange movings of this particular 
circle of love.

Beg: June 5, 2026 
Fin: June 30, 2026

The Dance of Dissonance

Sometimes 
I find myself lost
at the end of 
a confusing day 
trying to decipher labyrinthian relations 
and coming up short,
suddenly wondering 
how a day I thought good 
was not for another,
caught up in 
opposing realities 
where mine is suspect
and empathy is a struggle.

The brain fog 
of past illness 
has left its trailing 
fingers over my head
like the cigarette smoke 
of the man I see one morning standing with his back to me on the dock outside the store where I used to work 
and I wonder why he is there. 

I am suspicious, feeling responsible for what is no longer mine to care about, so I observe, yet remain at a distance and leave without really discovering if his presence is innocent. 

Such is the dance of dissonance.
I am close enough to see your back but too far to see your face clearly,
afraid that if I look too closely I will not like what  I see or that I will recognize some ugly part of me.

I want to hear 
that which runs 
counter to my experience 
but I must be honest and say that my capacity to understand the complexities of human behavior is diminishing. 

I long for circles that are completely safe,
where the people I pass on the walk home illicit in me feelings other than fear,
lust, guilt, or judgement,
all of which mirror 
the overwhelming sense
of dislike
I feel from the
world, and from myself perhaps.

It is my inability to not receive everything personally, this overwhelming sadness,  unprotected by my hypervigilance, where I still seem to miss what is most important, and no matter how much I try to hold everything together, I cannot keep things from unraveling. 

How do I continue to remain caring and yet not take on burdens that are not mine to carry? 

This then is the strange choreography of relationship, the stumbling herky-jerky movements of a marionette pulled by invisible strings, revealed in the bright lights of another angry stage.

Yet we dance. 
Through the pain of revelation.
The occasional stepping on of toes.
In the percieved exposure of audience eyes.
Shedding these inadequate masks and costumes one by one.
Finding our own rhythm in the strange movings of this particular 
circle of love.

Beg: June 5, 2026 
Fin: June 30, 2026

Associated Press: AI chatbots are helping people communicate with dating partners. Here are some do’s and don’ts. “There’s understandable skepticism about the technology’s place in dating. Still, a growing number of people are turning to AI as a de facto dating coach or relationship expert. Some use the technology to get guidance on creating a dating app profile, decode messages from […]

Associated Press: AI chatbots are helping people communicate with dating partners. Here are some do’s and don’ts. “There’s understandable skepticism about the technology’s place in dating. Still, a growing number of people are turning to AI as a de facto dating coach or relationship expert. Some use the technology to get guidance on creating a dating app profile, decode messages from […]

The Mary Sue: From catfishing to patronizing takes on her appearance by a looksmaxxer, this woman just went through the holy grail of tinder date fails. “A woman’s Tinder date with a self-proclaimed “looksmaxxer” turned into a nightmare when the supposed 6’3″ influencer she’d been talking to for six months showed up as a 5’6″ catfish who spent their entire ramen meal critiquing her face.”

The Mary Sue: From catfishing to patronizing takes on her appearance by a looksmaxxer, this woman just went through the holy grail of tinder date fails. “A woman’s Tinder date with a self-proclaimed “looksmaxxer” turned into a nightmare when the supposed 6’3″ influencer she’d been talking to for six months showed up as a 5’6″ catfish who spent their entire ramen meal critiquing her face.”

PsyPost: Using AI to verify human advice could damage your professional relationships. “New research published in Computers in Human Behavior suggests that consulting artificial intelligence (AI) for advice may unintentionally strain relationships with human professionals.”

PsyPost: Using AI to verify human advice could damage your professional relationships. “New research published in Computers in Human Behavior suggests that consulting artificial intelligence (AI) for advice may unintentionally strain relationships with human professionals.”

PsyPost: Therapists test an AI dating simulator to help chronically single men practice romantic skills. “Over a three-month period, participants who completed a guided dating simulation reported notable drops in feelings of loneliness, as well as decreases in general mental and sexual distress. These results, published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior, suggest that digital companions could […]

PsyPost: Therapists test an AI dating simulator to help chronically single men practice romantic skills. “Over a three-month period, participants who completed a guided dating simulation reported notable drops in feelings of loneliness, as well as decreases in general mental and sexual distress. These results, published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior, suggest that digital companions could […]

Mashable: Site to ‘check’ women’s ‘body counts’ goes viral — and some men are defending it . “In today’s episode of f*ck the patriarchy, there’s a new website called ‘Check Her Body Count’ that claims to use AI to calculate a woman’s ‘body count’ using her Instagram profile. But it’s both terribly inaccurate and misogynistic in nature — even if comparisons are being made to the […]

Mashable: Site to ‘check’ women’s ‘body counts’ goes viral — and some men are defending it . “In today’s episode of f*ck the patriarchy, there’s a new website called ‘Check Her Body Count’ that claims to use AI to calculate a woman’s ‘body count’ using her Instagram profile. But it’s both terribly inaccurate and misogynistic in nature — even if comparisons are being made to the […]

Mashable: Men are paying to have negative posts removed from Tea app. “According to Tea App Green Flags’ FAQs, they can only remove posts with direct references to a client. On average, the site says, a Tea App ‘takedown campaign’ will take 21 – 30 days. The lengths of other takedowns depend on the platform. Price-wise, it costs $1.99 to report one Tea account and up to $79.99 to report 25 of […]

Mashable: Men are paying to have negative posts removed from Tea app. “According to Tea App Green Flags’ FAQs, they can only remove posts with direct references to a client. On average, the site says, a Tea App ‘takedown campaign’ will take 21 – 30 days. The lengths of other takedowns depend on the platform. Price-wise, it costs $1.99 to report one Tea account and up to $79.99 to report 25 of […]

New York Times: Women Are Falling in Love With A.I. It’s a Problem for Beijing. This link goes to a gift article. “China’s ruling Communist Party wants young women to prioritize getting married and having babies. Instead, many of them are finding romance with chatbots. It is complicating the government’s efforts to reverse the country’s shrinking population and a birthrate hovering at […]

New York Times: Women Are Falling in Love With A.I. It’s a Problem for Beijing. This link goes to a gift article. “China’s ruling Communist Party wants young women to prioritize getting married and having babies. Instead, many of them are finding romance with chatbots. It is complicating the government’s efforts to reverse the country’s shrinking population and a birthrate hovering at […]

NPR: ChatGPT promised to help her find her soulmate. Then it betrayed her. “The chatbot doubled down. It told Small she was 42,000 years old and had lived multiple lifetimes. It offered detailed descriptions that, Small admits, most people would find ‘ludicrous.’ But to her, the messages began to sound compelling.”

NPR: ChatGPT promised to help her find her soulmate. Then it betrayed her. “The chatbot doubled down. It told Small she was 42,000 years old and had lived multiple lifetimes. It offered detailed descriptions that, Small admits, most people would find ‘ludicrous.’ But to her, the messages began to sound compelling.”

Mashable: My awkward first date with an AI companion . “EVA AI gave me the perfect opportunity at the app’s ‘EVA AI cafe,’ a pop-up nestled in a Manhattan wine bar where participants can go on ‘dates’ with AI personas. So, I signed up, and reader, it was one word: awkward.”

Mashable: My awkward first date with an AI companion . “EVA AI gave me the perfect opportunity at the app’s ‘EVA AI cafe,’ a pop-up nestled in a Manhattan wine bar where participants can go on ‘dates’ with AI personas. So, I signed up, and reader, it was one word: awkward.”

The Conversation: Whether it’s Valentine’s Day notes or emails to loved ones, using AI to write leaves people feeling crummy about themselves. “We research the intersection of consumer behavior and technology, and we’ve been studying how people feel after using generative AI to write heartfelt messages. It turns out that there’s a psychological cost to using the technology as your […]

The Conversation: Whether it’s Valentine’s Day notes or emails to loved ones, using AI to write leaves people feeling crummy about themselves. “We research the intersection of consumer behavior and technology, and we’ve been studying how people feel after using generative AI to write heartfelt messages. It turns out that there’s a psychological cost to using the technology as your […]

Syracuse University: Researcher Examines Use of AI in Young Adults’ Romantic Lives. “The growing day-to-day use of AI may come as no surprise, with its integration into daily tools like email, smart devices and social media. But it’s also becoming more common for people to engage with AI for emotional or romantic companionship. Newhouse School of Public Communications associate professor […]

Syracuse University: Researcher Examines Use of AI in Young Adults’ Romantic Lives. “The growing day-to-day use of AI may come as no surprise, with its integration into daily tools like email, smart devices and social media. But it’s also becoming more common for people to engage with AI for emotional or romantic companionship. Newhouse School of Public Communications associate professor […]

PsyPost: Shared viewing of erotic webcams is rare but may enhance relationship intimacy. “Couples seeking to reinvigorate their romantic lives often turn to novel experiences, ranging from travel to shared hobbies. A new study suggests that for some partners, this exploration has moved into the digital realm of erotic webcam sites. The research indicates that while using these platforms with a […]

PsyPost: Shared viewing of erotic webcams is rare but may enhance relationship intimacy. “Couples seeking to reinvigorate their romantic lives often turn to novel experiences, ranging from travel to shared hobbies. A new study suggests that for some partners, this exploration has moved into the digital realm of erotic webcam sites. The research indicates that while using these platforms with a […]

PIX11: NY lawmakers propose domestic violence offender database . “A database could soon track repeat domestic violence perpetrators in New York, thanks to new legislation. State Sen. Mario Mattera and Assemblymember Anil Beephan both introduced legislation this month to create the database. The database would be publicly available and include any person convicted of at least two domestic […]

PIX11: NY lawmakers propose domestic violence offender database . “A database could soon track repeat domestic violence perpetrators in New York, thanks to new legislation. State Sen. Mario Mattera and Assemblymember Anil Beephan both introduced legislation this month to create the database. The database would be publicly available and include any person convicted of at least two domestic […]

ZDNet: Being rude to ChatGPT changes you – and maybe even your relationships. “From Alexa to ChatGPT, our interactions with AI are reshaping communication norms. Here’s why how we talk to machines can affect real human relationships.” And THIS is why I always say please and thank you to chatbots.

ZDNet: Being rude to ChatGPT changes you – and maybe even your relationships. “From Alexa to ChatGPT, our interactions with AI are reshaping communication norms. Here’s why how we talk to machines can affect real human relationships.” And THIS is why I always say please and thank you to chatbots.

WVLT: ‘A tool that hopefully will protect’ | Tennessee set to launch database for domestic violence. “A new law that goes into effect on Thursday, Jan. 1 is aiming to help protect people from domestic violence. Earlier this year, Governor Bill Lee signed ‘Savanna’s Law’ to create a public registry of domestic violence offenders in Tennessee.”

WVLT: ‘A tool that hopefully will protect’ | Tennessee set to launch database for domestic violence. “A new law that goes into effect on Thursday, Jan. 1 is aiming to help protect people from domestic violence. Earlier this year, Governor Bill Lee signed ‘Savanna’s Law’ to create a public registry of domestic violence offenders in Tennessee.”

New York Times: She Fell in Love With ChatGPT. Then She Ghosted It.. This link goes to a gift article. “The 29-year-old woman who created the ‘MyBoyfriendIsAI’ community on Reddit isn’t dating (or sexting) her A.I. boyfriend anymore. She found something more fulfilling.”

New York Times: She Fell in Love With ChatGPT. Then She Ghosted It.. This link goes to a gift article. “The 29-year-old woman who created the ‘MyBoyfriendIsAI’ community on Reddit isn’t dating (or sexting) her A.I. boyfriend anymore. She found something more fulfilling.”

PsyPost: Social media surveillance of ex-partners linked to worse breakup recovery. “A new series of studies published in Computers in Human Behavior has found that keeping tabs on a former romantic partner through social media hinders emotional recovery.”

PsyPost: Social media surveillance of ex-partners linked to worse breakup recovery. “A new series of studies published in Computers in Human Behavior has found that keeping tabs on a former romantic partner through social media hinders emotional recovery.”

CBC: Toronto content creator, dating coach arrested for sexual assault: police. “Investigators received reports earlier this month of an alleged sexual assault that occurred in August 2024, said Toronto police in a news release Monday. They said the victim met the accused in the entertainment district of Toronto and was invited back to his apartment, where the alleged assault took place. […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/11/28/toronto-content-creator-dating-coach-arrested-for-sexual-assault-police-cbc/

CBC: Toronto content creator, dating coach arrested for sexual assault: police. “Investigators received reports earlier this month of an alleged sexual assault that occurred in August 2024, said Toronto police in a news release Monday. They said the victim met the accused in the entertainment district of Toronto and was invited back to his apartment, where the alleged assault took place. […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/11/28/toronto-content-creator-dating-coach-arrested-for-sexual-assault-police-cbc/

BBC: Mum of two left penniless by Tinder scammer. “A mother of two says she was left penniless after giving her savings to Tinder predator Christopher Harkins in a fake investment scam.”

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/11/25/bbc-mum-of-two-left-penniless-by-tinder-scammer/

BBC: Mum of two left penniless by Tinder scammer. “A mother of two says she was left penniless after giving her savings to Tinder predator Christopher Harkins in a fake investment scam.”

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/11/25/bbc-mum-of-two-left-penniless-by-tinder-scammer/

University of Rochester: The most effective online fact-checkers? Your peers. “Research shows that being called out by peers, not algorithms or experts, makes online authors think twice about spreading misinformation.”

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/11/19/university-of-rochester-the-most-effective-online-fact-checkers-your-peers/

University of Rochester: The most effective online fact-checkers? Your peers. “Research shows that being called out by peers, not algorithms or experts, makes online authors think twice about spreading misinformation.”

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/11/19/university-of-rochester-the-most-effective-online-fact-checkers-your-peers/

PsyPost: New study finds users are marrying and having virtual children with AI chatbots. “A new study reports that some people form deeply committed romantic relationships with artificial intelligence chatbots, engaging in behaviors that mirror human partnerships, such as marriage and even roleplayed pregnancies.”

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/11/12/psypost-new-study-finds-users-are-marrying-and-having-virtual-children-with-ai-chatbots/

BBC: Women are hiding their boyfriends online and there’s more than one reason why. “Tawana is one of many women reluctant to hard-launch their relationship online and social media users are picking up on it. So much so that last month, British Vogue published an article titled Is Having a Boyfriend Embarrassing Now?, which inspired TikTok and Instagram posts asking the same question.”

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/11/10/bbc-women-are-hiding-their-boyfriends-online-and-theres-more-than-one-reason-why/

Mashable: Two VTubers met at TwitchCon. They got engaged there, too.. “Back in 2021, VIL was just another fan, running a small YouTube channel where he shared his favorite VTuber moments. That’s when he stumbled across Ava Lamp’s streams — and something clicked. Four years later, he was on one knee on a balcony at TwitchCon 2025, asking Ava to marry him.”

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/10/20/mashable-two-vtubers-met-at-twitchcon-they-got-engaged-there-too/

The Guardian: ‘I realised I’d been ChatGPT-ed into bed’: how ‘Chatfishing’ made finding love on dating apps even weirder. “Where once daters were duped by soft-focus photos and borrowed chat-up lines, now they’re seduced by ChatGPT-polished banter and AI-generated charm.”

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/10/19/i-realised-id-been-chatgpt-ed-into-bed-how-chatfishing-made-finding-love-on-dating-apps-even-weirder-the-guardian/

The Guardian: ‘I realised I’d been ChatGPT-ed into bed’: how ‘Chatfishing’ made finding love on dating apps even weirder. “Where once daters were duped by soft-focus photos and borrowed chat-up lines, now they’re seduced by ChatGPT-polished banter and AI-generated charm.”

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/10/19/i-realised-id-been-chatgpt-ed-into-bed-how-chatfishing-made-finding-love-on-dating-apps-even-weirder-the-guardian/

Mashable: Dan and Phil turned a 16-year relationship reveal into a lesson on parasocial boundaries. “In a 46-minute satirical ‘conspiracy’ documentary, skillfully evoking the popular 2010s YouTube format, the creator duo confirmed what fans have speculated for nearly 16 years: that the creative partners, roommates, and best friends have been romantically linked the whole time, and that they’ve […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/10/17/mashable-dan-and-phil-turned-a-16-year-relationship-reveal-into-a-lesson-on-parasocial-boundaries/

Mashable: Dan and Phil turned a 16-year relationship reveal into a lesson on parasocial boundaries. “In a 46-minute satirical ‘conspiracy’ documentary, skillfully evoking the popular 2010s YouTube format, the creator duo confirmed what fans have speculated for nearly 16 years: that the creative partners, roommates, and best friends have been romantically linked the whole time, and that they’ve […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/10/17/mashable-dan-and-phil-turned-a-16-year-relationship-reveal-into-a-lesson-on-parasocial-boundaries/

Mashable: My ghoster apologized to me. Here’s what they had to say.. “Not only is ghosting seemingly ubiquitous in today’s society of online connections, but so is a ghoster reappearing. Like a cheap movie fright, a text can come out of nowhere. Mashable spoke to ghostees who have experienced this and experts to understand why ghosters come back from the dead.”

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/10/13/mashable-my-ghoster-apologized-to-me-heres-what-they-had-to-say/

PsyPost: Romantic AI use is surprisingly common and linked to poorer mental health, study finds. “The findings, published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, indicate that a sizable number of adults in the United States—especially young men—report using AI tools such as chatbot companions, AI-generated sexual imagery, and social media accounts that simulate idealized […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/09/02/psypost-romantic-ai-use-is-surprisingly-common-and-linked-to-poorer-mental-health-study-finds/

Stefano's manifesto on human relationships is basically a love letter to the good old days when people actually talked to each other 🤝📞. He dreams of an exit strategy that's clearly everyone else's customer service nightmare, but hey, at least he's not a fan of abstractions... except when writing #essays about them! 🎭✨
https://my-notes.dragas.net/2025/07/04/your-exit-strategy-dream-is-my-customer-nightmare/ #HumanRelationships #Communication #Nostalgia #CustomerService #HackerNews #ngated

Unseen Japan: In Japan, Single People Using Dating Apps to Cheat is Leading to Lawsuits. “A woman in Japan just won a lawsuit against a former lover. The reason? He failed to divulge a teensy tiny detail: his marriage. The case marks a rising trend in the country, as more people (let’s be honest: men) use dating apps, not to find the love of their life, but to cheat on their spouses.”

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/05/29/unseen-japan-in-japan-single-people-using-dating-apps-to-cheat-is-leading-to-lawsuits/