Aziz Ansari and Eric Klinenberg open by presenting extensive sociological research demonstrating that digital technology — dating apps, texting, social media — has fundamentally transformed how contemporary people meet romantic partners and conduct courtship, compared to previous generations.

Why this transformation deserves rigorous sociological examination:

• This transformation represents a genuinely significant, historically recent shift in courtship patterns, warranting serious sociological research attention rather than purely anecdotal or comedic treatment alone
• The combination of Ansari's comedic accessibility and Klinenberg's sociological research rigor provides a distinctive approach combining genuine academic grounding with engaging accessible presentation
• This opening establishes the book's foundational premise, motivating its subsequent detailed examination of specific contemporary dating and courtship patterns

This opening establishes the book's foundational premise, examining digital technology's fundamental transformation of contemporary dating and courtship patterns through combined comedic and sociological approach.