She emphasizes that we must stop searching for "perfection" online and focus on constructing real connections, even when the technological landscape encourages a "disposable" approach to partners.

✨ Secure your seat to witness how the modern thesis moves beyond the page.

Intimacy and the Algorithm: Digital Dating, Affective Labor, and the Construction of Romantic Selfhood (approx. 2019, University of Sydney/UTS – exact title may vary)

Lisa Portolan's PhD thesis, titled [insert title], was completed in [insert year] at [insert university]. The thesis explores [insert topic], with a focus on [insert specific area of focus]. Her research employed [insert methodology] and contributed to the field by [insert key findings].

Some best practices that can be derived from Lisa Portolan's work include:

| Podcast Name | Role | Best Episodes (Themes) | |--------------|------|------------------------| | The Hook Up (triple j / ABC) | Regular expert guest | Dating app burnout, ghosting ethics, digital consent | | This Connected Life (hosted by Portolan) | Co-host/creator | Each episode explores tech’s impact on relationships | | Sex & the Single Aussie | Creator/host | Deep dive into dating app data, user stories, and intimacy |

Portolan’s book “Dating, Mating, and App-plicating: Love in the Digital Age” (2022) and several journal articles on digital intimacy.

For those looking for actionable advice from this unique intersection of scholarship, journalism, and storytelling, Dr. Portolan has provided some of the best strategies for navigating the modern dating landscape. Her 2025 book, , condenses her academic findings and hundreds of interviews into an evidence-based guide. Some of her most valuable and best-practice tips include:

Unpacking "Slow Love": How Lisa Portolan’s PhD Thesis Transformed Into a Hit Podcast and Film Event

: This series was a direct "brainchild" of her PhD research, created in collaboration with filmmaker Ruth Borgobello. It documents raw, authentic stories of dating and intimacy during lockdown.

Portolan uses podcasts to bring her academic findings to a broader audience: