Sex robots are here to stay.
If you want to keep your browser history free of “sex robot” searches, the newest installment of Kiggins Theatre’s Science on Tap will answer some questions for you. The 7 p.m. Wednesday discussion, titled “Sex, Relationships and Technology,” addresses sex robots, online dating and how technology is impacting romantic relationships.
Kris Gowen, a sexuality educator and co-founder of the sex education consulting group Beyond the Talk, will lead the event. Gowen is the author of “Sexual Decisions: The Ultimate Teen Guide.”
Gowen said the majority of her discussion will focus on the psychology around online dating decision-making, as well as the evolving technology of sex robots.
“People are advancing robot technology in all sorts of domains, and whether people choose to use it or not in a sexual way is up to them,” Gowen said.
“It’s not a matter of ‘is it here?’ or ‘will it be developed or not?’ ” she said. “It’s going to be developed, so it’s just a matter of, how are robots going to be integrated into our daily lives, whether they are in a sexual way or in other ways. This is how the future is unfolding, and it’s a good idea to just learn about it and have your own ideas and form opinions about how you’re going to use these technologies or not moving forward.”
Right now, the research behind who is using sex robots and why is still sparse, Gowen said. Many surveys aren’t well done, or are skewed toward men, she said, but “overall the vast majority of people are more resistant than embracing the idea.”
Changing attitudes
Online dating is one area where mentalities have changed considerably in recent years. According to The Knot 2017 Jewelry & Engagement Study, which examined more than 14,000 engaged or recently married couples, 17 percent reported meeting their spouses or fiances through online dating apps.
Gowen will address how people’s online dating decision-making changes depending on the service they use. Bumble and Tinder, which offer one profile choice at a time, can receive different decisions than OK Cupid or Match.com, which have more intensive profiles and offer a variety of choices at once.
“You might actually see the same person on those two different sites, and you would actually make a different decision on that person based on what app you’re using, not actually on the person themselves,” Gowen said. “We actually assess people differently or things differently when we’re seeing choices one at a time versus when we’re given an array of choices at all once.”
Tinder and Bumble have also created systems that operate more like a game than a dating service. Gowen said that both services use intermittent-reward systems, similar to how you might train a child or dog by giving them a treat for good behavior.
“Think of it as a slot machine,” Gowen said. “The reward in and of itself becomes the match, not the follow through on your match.”
Gowen said her discussion will focus more on online dating in terms of the goal being long-term relationships as opposed to hook-ups. She said that when texting became an everyday thing, the possibility of instant connection introduced new dynamics to dating and relationships.
The same can be said of online dating, which is becoming more and more ubiquitous. Gowen said people have to decide for themselves how to incorporate these new technologies into their lives and relationships.
“Online dating is here to stay, so I think learning more about it and how it works, and how it can work for people who are looking for a partner is important,” Gowen said. “This is an approach that is sort of becoming the norm.”
