What happened in this episode?
Chris Williamson interviews US pollster and writer Daniel Cox about what he calls a growing “romantic recession” and widening hostility between young men and women. Cox argues the roots pre-date dating apps and MeToo, pointing instead to formative experiences shaped by social media, smaller families, and a parenting culture centred on individual achievement. He says algorithms can separate men and women into different content streams, reinforcing stereotypes and amplifying fears about safety and dating norms.
Cox discusses survey findings he attributes to his research, including claims that young liberal women report higher levels of online sexual harassment and that a majority of US teen boys believe girls are encouraged and supported more than boys at school. He also describes a focus-group result in which parents widely reported teaching children about education and financial stability but not about marriage or parenthood. On relationships, Cox outlines a reported gender-and-age split in how infidelity is judged, saying younger women were less likely to condemn female cheating in all circumstances.
The conversation also turns to politics and class. Cox says Gallup data shows a sharp ideological divergence opening around 2016, driven largely by young women becoming more liberal. Williamson describes resentment about class being sidelined in political narratives; Cox adds that working-class voters often see Republicans as representing financial elites and Democrats as cultural elites. Cox argues rebuilding in-person “third spaces” and encouraging more face-to-face interaction are practical steps to counter isolation.
All survey claims discussed are presented by Cox as US-based and are not independently verified in the episode.
