Esther Perel Lets Us Listen In On Couples: Article Analysis

“Why aren't your parent married?” my fourth-grade reading buddy asked. “I don't know.” I answered honestly. Looking concerned she asked, “Then… Then how did they have you?” While fourth grade me was not at all stumped by this question, I was perplexed that my parent’s alternative relationship wasn’t as functional as my classmate’s parents’. For several reasons, my parents choose to live together, financially independent, unmarried, and monogamous. Although this relationship is not on the more intense end of the alternative spectrum, it was slightly jaw-dropping in my conservative hometown and did give me a strong interest in relationship dynamics. That is why Alexandra Schwartz’ s article “Esther Perel Lets Us Listen in on Couples’ Secrets” (2017) spoke close to home for me. One passage in particular struck me; “People still yearn for love and intimacy; they want to be desired just as much

In the context of Schwartz’s article, this quote is mentioned while explaining the dynamics of Esther Perel’s 30-year career in relationship counseling and the quote is followed by explaining how the realization of infidelity in relationships has changed because of technology. The technological age has changed more than how we view infidelity in the life of the couple, it has changed how we meet, communicate, and the way we view the structure of the relationship. Long-distance relationships have never been easier to connect face to face. Same-sex relationships have found emotional support in chat rooms where they used to find hate in the streets. You can now meet casual-sex partners with a right swipe, which inspires a new lore regarding non-monogamy, and a new fearlessness in the face of rejection. Love and intimacy has an entirely new face because of technology, which changes the cultural narrative around it. The couple is deviating from traditional because of