More or Less: Behind the Stats

Are 80% of women really only attracted to 20% of men?

66 snips
Apr 29, 2025
Marina Adshade, a professor at the Vancouver School of Economics, dives into the provocative claim that 80% of women are attracted to only 20% of men. She dissects its origins and the ethical pitfalls of using Tinder data to back this assertion. The discussion extends to how this myth fuels misogyny and radicalization among young men, as seen in the Netflix series 'Adolescence.' Adshade challenges the reliability of dating app trends, revealing that dating is often more nuanced than the simplistic 80-20 rule suggests.
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INSIGHT

Origin of 80-20 Rule Misapplication

  • The 80-20 rule originally comes from the Pareto principle about wealth distribution, not attraction.
  • It states 20% of people own 80% of assets, mistakenly applied to dating dynamics.
ANECDOTE

Unethical Tinder 'Research' Example

  • An anonymous blog used unapproved Tinder data collected by catfishing for its claim.
  • This unethical 'research' involved a fake profile to question women without consent.
INSIGHT

Dating Apps Manipulate User Experience

  • Dating apps manipulate experiences through algorithms to maximize user engagement and revenue.
  • Men often see skewed matches, pushing paid accounts due to artificial low acceptance rates.
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