Dr. Marcus C. Shepard reviews a new multi-country study reported by the Institute for Family Studies showing that couples who met in person report higher relationship satisfaction and stronger experiences of intimacy, passion, and commitment than couples who met online (https://ifstudies.org/blog/couples-around-the-world-who-met-in-real-life-are-happier-than-those-who-met-online).

The episode discusses possible reasons—such as shared contexts, transparency, and selection criteria—offers practical advice for using dating apps (including setting non-negotiables and timelines), and explores limitations of the research.

The episode closes with an Ask Dr. Shepard segment advising a student on how to repair a strained relationship with a professor: request a meeting during office hours, document the conversation by email, and keep a respectful paper trail if problems continue.