Celeste, who began her career in politics, says "dating is an inherently political problem" — she ties it to the loneliness epidemic, noting people now spend "30% less of our lifetime with other people than our parents did," up to "10+ hours a week" for social people.
More from this episode
Celeste started her working life in politics — "a Senate intern," "a Senate page," and "a congressional intern" — and says she's "always been very passionate about social impact." She argues the loneliness epidemic isn't about "some lonelier person than you out there"; it's that everyone, "you and I included," is "spending 30% less of our lifetime with other people than our parents did," which for social people "can be as much as 10+ hours a week."
She links it to conveniences — "online shopping," "food delivery," "streaming services" — that "make our lives easier" but "have created a more solitary society," with Americans now "shopping alone, eating alone, unwinding alone, watching movies alone, living alone." Her ambition for Known: "how can we create not just better dates but a more cohesive society."