Love and Technology
Gauci, Christine ; Vella, Mary Grace (2026) — The Palgrave Handbook of Global Social Problems
Type:
Book Chapter
Country:
Global
Tags:
romance_fraud, artificial_intelligence, deepfakes, online_dating, digital_literacy, emotional_manipulation, psychological_trauma, financial_fraud, romance fraud, artificial intelligence, online dating, emotional manipulation, digital intimacy, identity deception, psychological trauma, Romance fraud, Artificial intelligence, Deepfakes, Online dating, Emotional manipulation, Digital intimacy, Identity deception, Psychological trauma
Synopsis (AI-Generated)
Love and technology are presented as a field within a global social problems framework. The volume surveys how digital platforms, algorithmic systems, and connected devices shape intimate life, affection, and partnership across varied cultural and economic contexts. It considers how people meet, court, form attachments, and sustain relationships in online and hybrid environments, and how technologies mediate care and family life. The discussion includes dating apps, online communications, wearable interfaces, and emerging AI-enabled companions as sites where opportunity, risk, and misunderstanding intersect. Across regions and populations, the volume attends to how access, literacy, and cultural norms influence experiences of romance in a digital era. Topics include power dynamics, gendered expectations, race and class effects, and questions
Identified Gaps (AI-Generated)
The text signals gaps in empirical evidence on AI-driven deception and suggests broader issues such as geographic generalizability beyond Western contexts, lack of standardized definitions for identity-related fraud, and the need for interdisciplinary methods to study victims’ experiences and interventions.
Methods (AI-Generated)
The chapter uses a literature-based, interdisciplinary synthesis across criminology, psychology, sociology, and technology. It provides historical and contemporary analysis of romance fraud and AI-enabled deception, collating existing studies to map mechanisms, victim impacts, and policy implications rather than reporting new empirical data.
Limitations (AI-Generated)
The work relies on secondary sources and a narrative synthesis without new data; it appears centered on Western contexts, which may limit generalizability; the text lacks explicit methodological detail about data collection and analysis; potential biases in cited literature.
Future Work (AI-Generated)
The chapter calls for digital literacy, ethical AI development, and cross-sector collaboration to mitigate harm. It also highlights the need for empirical research on AI-enabled deception, platform responsibility, victim support, and the development of measurement frameworks and policy guidelines to protect consumers in online romance contexts.
AI-Generated Content Notice
The synopsis and research notes on this page were generated with AI from available publication information and, when available, the uploaded paper text. They may contain errors, omissions, or interpretation issues. Readers should follow the DOI or source link, review the original publication, and make their own judgment about the content.