I am a Ph.D. student of Sociology at UC Berkeley studying online dating, culture, technology, the sharing economy, and social exchange.

Broadly, I am interested in understanding how the adoption of online technologies shape cultural schemas and offline relationships. My dissertation explores how individuals rely on algorithmic-thinking to make decisions on ‘when to commit’ in the age of digital romance. Singles today often bemoan that online dating has reduced romantic pursuits to a ‘numbers game.’ They say that dating apps have made an overwhelming amount of people available at the touch of their fingertips, but knowing when to stop ‘relationshopping’ and start ‘relationshipping’ has become a great source of disquietude. Taking my research to metropolises such as Shanghai and New York, I ask: how do people respond to and/or play the numbers game? What kind of schemas are urbanites relying on to make dating-related decisions? Furthermore, how do the technologization and quantification of one of life’s most intimate affairs shape modern understandings of selfhood and relationality?

My research and ideas have been featured on NPR (Morning Edition, All Things Considered), San Francisco Chronicle, GQ, Mashable, and USA Today.

Peer-Reviewed Articles

Watson, Ryan J., Snapp, Shannon D.*, & Wang, Skyler*. 2017. “What We Know and Where To Go From Here: A Review of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Youth Hookup Literature.” Sex Roles, 77(11- 12), 801-811.
(*Dr. Snapp and I contributed equally as co-authors.)

Wang, Skyler. 2016. “Igniting a ‘Pink Dot’: Legal Pragmatism and Cultural Resonance in Singapore’s First LGBT Movement.” Sojourners, 8, 4-14.

• Best Article – Francesco Duina Scholarship Award

Wang, Skyler. 2016. “A Critique from Within: The Core of Ai Weiwei’s ‘Sunflower Seeds.’” Undergraduate Journal of Art History & Visual Culture, (7), 10-17.

Policy Reports

MacAulay, Maggie & Wang, Skyler. 2016. #ResistStigma: How Do We Get There? Vancouver, BC: Community-Based Research Center for Gay Men’s Health.
English | Français

Public Sociology

Wang, Skyler. 2017. “The Pink Dot Redrawn.” The Middle Ground. Published Jun 9. 

Wang, Skyler. 2016. “Progressives must leave Echo Chamber to Trump Hate.” The Daily Californian. Published Nov 18.

Wang, Skyler. 2016. “The Purpose of Studying Love Sociologically: A Pedagogical Experiment.” Queer Voices. Published Oct 27.

Wang, Skyler. 2016. “The Missing Puzzle: Environmentalism in An Era of Identity Politics.” Climate Refuge. Published April 15. 

Wang, Skyler. 2015. “A Sea of Change: UBC as a Hotbed for Evolving Views on Homosexuality.” The Ubyssey. Published September 16. 

In 2016, I taught a course titled “What Makes You Click: The Sociology of Online Dating” at the University of British Columbia. The course focuses on using sociological perspectives to help students understand broad patterns of this new way of relationship formation, while concomitantly directing heavy attention at equipping them with scientific knowledge to better them as partners, be it in their romantic or platonic relationships.

I have since been invited to give public lectures and private talks on the topic of online dating. During my free time, I also mentor individuals who want to bolster their online dating game. Please reach out to me if you have any inquiries.