“Why do we write? A chorus erupts. Because we cannot simply live.”
~Patti Smith, Devotion (2017:93)
I am always looking for opportunities to collaborate with and contribute to on- and offline publications that reflect my vision for a more equitable and meaningful world. In the spirit of this, I am excited to announce my newest initiatives:
- Expert contributor to YourTango – the leading online magazine dedicated to love and relationships
- Published author for The Conversation and a contributing writer for The Chorus and Be-Yourself
- Contributing author at Hello, Love
- Accepted as a member of the International Society of Professional Females
As a recently single Toronto millennial, I dreaded finding love online. So I went speed dating
In this article, I touch on the benefits of speed dating compared to using dating apps, which have run its course for a lot of people.
The 21 best second date ideas, according to relationship experts
Against all odds, you had a good first date, but now what? Here are some second date ideas from me and other relationship experts.
Sexual Wellness Is Self-care: What Experts Want You to Know About It
Here’s a feature interview about sexual wellness, with Dr. Lori Brotto (Author, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of British Columbia, Executive Director of the Women’s Health Research Institute), for The Kit (Feb. 24, 2023).
PAGET: The month of love brings on a plethora of pleasure
Here’s a feature interview by Simone Paget, Sex & Relationship Columnist for the Toronto Sun about sexual wellness for the story The month of love brings on a plethora of pleasure (Feb. 20, 2023).
‘It’s not you, it’s the apps’: Western prof talks nuances digital dating
In this article, I talk about the nuances of dating in the world of academia.
Dr. Treena Orchard discusses self-love and sexual wellness on The Morning Zoom with Sam & Jane
On The Morning Zoom with Sam & Jane, I spoke about the importance of self-love and why everyone should prioritize not only their partner, but also themselves.
Tuesday Feb 14 2023 Hour 3 – Valentine’s Day Edition: The Draft | Sex Wellness for Women | Wright or Wrong
Catch me on iHeart Radio’s Newstalk 1010 podcast where I talk about a study that shows Ontario women need to prioritize sexual wellness.
The Social – How Sexual Wellness Boosts our Health
It was thrilling to be a featured guest on Canada’s Top Lifestyle Television show The Social’s IGTV segment about promoting sexual wellness to reduce sexual stigma and help Canadian women have happier, healthier lives.
We’re All Strangers Until We Meet
I had so much fun with Simone Paget talking about relationships, men, sex, and the strangeness of modern courtship compared to the golden days of analog dating. Check it out!!
8 Real Stories From People Who Found Love Online After 40
Online dating over 40 can be a challenge, but it’s possible! Take it from me and 8 other people who have who have succeeded in finding love.
5 Ways to Show Appreciation for Your Partner During the Holiday Season
Some tips to help your relationship all year round. Check out some ideas from me and other experts.
7 Ways to Show Gratitude for Your Partner This Thanksgiving
A little appreciation goes a long way, so check out some ideas from me and other experts
How to Take a Good Dick Pic, According to Experts
Bathroom selfies? No thank you. Check out some of my tips for a good dick pic, featured in Men’s Health!
Of Sunglasses and Survival
I’m building up the courage to say something that’s haunted me for two decades, I have a problem with alcohol. Here’s my story.
How Much Should You Tip Your Tattoo Artist? We’ve Got Answers For Ya
I was featured in an article on Cosmopolitan! If you’re looking to get a tattoo and want to learn about tipping etiquette, give it a read.
Letter to the Editor: Do labour negotiations have to be so painful?
Here’s a short piece that gets to the heart of what it felt like to live under the cloud of impending and stressful contract negotiations this term.
How to Be Happy and Enjoy Being Single (According to 9 Experts)
In this article, I along with 8 other experts share our insights and expertise on being happy and single.
Bumble to Tinder, how the world sees powerful women leading dating apps
My article on the patronizing portrayal of female CEOs got picked up by a few news sources, including The Print, The Free Press, Global Dating Insights, The Tolerance Webzine, The Conversation, Flipboard, Western News and News24!
2022 Best Female Scientists Ranking Highlights the Work of 1000 Spectacular Women
Research.com, the number one research portal for science rankings, just published a story about the contributions of women in science, including issues related to the gender gap. I’m honoured to take part in this important conversation
The Routledge Companion to Gender, Sexuality and Culture
Fresh off the presses, this cutting-edge collection of scholarship about gender, sexuality, and culture features a chapter written by me! It explored different aspects of my experiences using the Bumble dating app, including how platforms like these are flipping our sexual scripts and selling us dreams they may not always be able to follow through on. Curious, read more here!
Powerful women heading up dating apps are framed as young and sexy
Did you know that two women were running the biggest dating apps in the industry for a year? If you said no, you’re not alone. News agencies were covering these CEOs, but instead of leadership issues they focused on the women’s age, appearance, and “scandalous” pasts. Read our story to find out more!!
When did tracking a woman’s ‘body count’ become such a thing?
I was interviewed by Stylist on the sexist notion of ‘body counts.’ (September 4, 2022)
Exploring the links between slang and sexual and gender-based violence among university students in a Canadian city
The first paper from my study about sexual cultures and sexual and gender-based violence among undergrads at Western University is out!
Older women and younger men, you say?
YES, I say. Check out my first academic publication about my dating app experiences, which is the only known example of using the divine feminine as a way to unpack ageism and intimacy within these unique relationship structures.
“We Cause a Ruckus”: Exploring How Indigenous Youth Navigate the Challenges of Community Engagement and Leadership
An article I co-wrote on a research project about mental health and community engagement with Indigenous youth in Kasabonika Lake First Nation. Published August 3, 2022.
Western University reports offer steps to address sexual violence
I’m honoured to be featured in this story about how Western University is preparing for the upcoming year in the aftermath of the alleged incidents of sexual and gender-based violence on campus last September. Published July 28, 2022.
Walking in each other’s shoes
A story that I wrote about gardening and getting to know my neighbours during the pandemic was published recently (June 27, 2022) on the Medium publication Be Yourself. The story is called “Walking in each other’s shoes.”
Coping with Ghosting
I recently took part in the unique podcast that’s all about dealing with being ghosted on dating apps and other platforms, called Coping with Ghosting. This interview took place on June 26, 2022.
Gender, Sex and Tech
In early February of this year, I was a featured guest on the Gender, Sex and Tech. podcast hosted by Lisa Smith and Jill Fellows. Our discussion focused on my dating app research, which is featured in Sex and Tech: An Intersectional Feminist Guide to the Innovations that Shape Us, an exciting book that drops at the end of July!
Is low libido another symptom of the pandemic?
Interview with Sputnik News, an international news agency, about how the pandemic is impacting people’s sex lives. Featured in the story Anyway, How is Your Sex Life? Due to Pandemic, ‘Collective Libido’ Seems to Have Plummeted (Jan. 30, 2022).
Webinar: Exploring the impacts of dating apps on mental health among adults
On February 10, the folks at Gambling, Gaming and Technology Use and I got together for a webinar to speak about the impacts of digital technologies on mental health and addictions. Watch the presentation to learn more about the risks and benefits of using these apps and, specifically, how they affect the way our young people feel about themselves.
Sex & the City Reboot is more groan than groove, and misses the mark
Spoiler alert! The ladies are back and they are officially putting the “blah” in Blahnik. Read my new article in The Conversation about the epic fail of the reboot. Where’s the sex and saucy, smart dialogue? Where’s the fem-forward reflections on aging, race, and gender in the 21st century? And just like that, women need to find another show to see themselves represented in a realistic way.
I was proud and excited to partake in the When We Rise Conference, which featured various perspectives surrounding women’s health, gender issues and empowerment.
Check out the full video of my latest presentation Deconstructing Social Constructs: Their Origins, Their Impact & Their Solutions below.
Read my exploration into the words “kids these days” use to describe one another and the ways they interact in love, dating and sexual relationship: Orchard, T. (2021) Chill Broad, Bitch Boi & Twink: What Sexual Slang Reveals About Generation Z, The 5th House
Sex Files: The allure of the older woman
Read this fun article with the Toronto Sun’s Simone Paget where I talk about my experiences of being an “older woman” looking for love & sex on dating apps.
Discover how to foster equity and inclusion on your campus. Over the past month, several publications have published rankings of colleges and universities, including scoring ethnic diversity and demonstrated commitment to inclusion. These rankings – and their implications – are fundamental to the success, desirability and culture of your campus. Within this Education Admin Web Advisor publication, I shed light on how you can make these crucial changes on your campus.
On November 22, I will be joining Leigh Cowart to discuss the science behind the pleasure of pain. Learn about the temptation behind all things masochistic and magnificent.
Community conversations about rape culture on university campuses
In light of recent events at Western University, I’ve published an article on The Conversation about the relationship between frosh week and rape culture, and what we can do to root out the toxic factors that perpetuate this form of violence. In response to my article, several news outlets reached out to chat about my views surrounding Oweek and the toxic attitudes and events that are so prevalent during the first week back on campus.
Feature interview with Angel Xing, a journalist at The Charlatan newspaper at Carleton University, focused on The Conversation article I wrote about the link between frosh week and rape culture (October 8, 2021).
Feature interview on News at Morning Mixtape for CJRU 1280 AM at Ryerson University, focused on The Conversation article I wrote about the link between frosh week and rape culture (October 7, 2021).
Check out one – or all – of my conversations about how this university tradition is creating a breeding ground for dangerous behaviours and gender-based violence:
- Brian Bourke from 570 News in Kitchener
Western University Should Cancel Frosh Week
In light of recent events at Western University, I’ve published an article on The Conversation about the relationship between frosh week and rape culture, and what we can do to root out the toxic factors that perpetuate this form of violence.
SEX FILES: Not app-gain! The continuous disappointments of app-dating
My online dating experiences have now made an appearance within the Toronto Sun. Read about how “flat” and repetitive the user experience has become in the very strange terrain of app-based romance with an article published by my friend Simone Paget.
From Hot Girl To Gone Girl: Five Dating Takeaways From Summer 2021
When Covid-19 cases began dropping, it felt safe to imagine life on the other side of lockdown. The hot girl summer was ours, so the saucy “vaxxed and waxxed” memes said…
Read how much my tepid summer experiences differed from the promise of scorching sexy times via my new article published in Your Tango.
“It wasn’t a dramatic blow-up that almost crushed my relationship, it was…” These tips may help you survive the Covid relationship rollercoaster:
- Slow your response time…
- Don’t interpret your partner’s behaviour…
- Map out your communication plan…
Despite living in a sex-obsessed society, we rarely talk about our erotic lives in ways that foster meaningful intimacy…
Read my new article via The Conversation to explore how we may establish a sense of closeness, even from a distance.
Even from the safety of my own home, I have travelled to Spain!
Check out my feature interview in Ara, Spain’s leading newspaper in the Catalan language!
It explores different angles of Bumble feminism, on the dating app and the boss lifestyle brand that’s made CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd the youngest self-made female billionaire.
Listen up to “Sex Work in the City“ with the fabulous podcast team at Cheating On Fear
In this new podcast, I speak to my research into sex work, the invisible labour that many woman have to endure by virtue of their gender, how the patriarchy hurts everyone, and how a common tactic of conflating something horrible with something potentially innocuous can lead to a divisive battle, even when everyone is trying to “do the right thing.”
What’s on the agenda for today? Digital Gender Dynamics via Zoom
My colleague, Shauna Burke, and I were invited onto tvo’s The Agenda to talk more about our research into the ways our new Zoom-dominated lives may be affecting and/or reflecting gender inequality. You can catch the entire episode here and join in the conversation via Twitter – it’s bumpin’!
Tune into & turn up my podcast with Cheating on Fear
During our convo, we chat about my upcoming #Bumble book, sexuality, online gender dynamics and more. Give us a listen and let me know what you think about our different perspectives and the way we put this awesome podcast to werk.
Money, Agency, and Self-Care among Cisgender and Trans People in Sex Work
Check out my new publication with three amazing colleagues who took part in a collective study about sex work, health and social services in the Kitchener-Waterloo region. It explores how cis and transgender people in sex work experience different issues in relation to money, agency and self care. This is a novel contribution to the research literature that I am proud of.
Interview: The gender dynamics that play out on Zoom
My colleague, Shauna Burke, and I teamed up with 570 News to chat about the article we published regarding how men’s and women’s behaviours differ on the digital meeting platform, Zoom. In case you missed it, we’ve provided the audio below, so you can listen in and send us your thoughts about the patterns you have (not) noticed during online conversations. Click below and enjoy!
On Zoom, men don’t like feeling watched & judged, but women are used to it
In my new post via The Conversation, my colleague and I use our combined observations of hundreds of Zoom meetings and scholarly insights from the fields of anthropology and psychology to explore how gender dynamics play out on Zoom and the transformative impact of digital platforms on our work environments and identities.
Read more about why we think men use formal backgrounds more than women and what implications this interesting online trend has.
Revisiting the fears of Covid-19: What was life like six months ago?
Back in May, at the height of the pandemic, I penned my feelings about our drastic change in routine and the uneasiness brought with it. I chatted about privilege, Shoppers Drug Mart and the ways we’ve become totally distanced – not just physically – from one another.
Now that the numbers are rising again, I wanted to revisit this piece and the feelings contained within in. Are we headed towards another lockdown and, with it, the exhaustive discomfort of navigating a new normal we all hate?
Read and respond via the beyourself online platform.
My blog about Big Little Lies has made an appearance on The Medium.
Read about female friendship, competition & the ways TV can reflect our versions of ourselves – even when they tote bleach blonde dos and murderous plots.
Equity Champion: Treena Orchard
During the month of October 2020, Western University’s Faculty Association published their newest edition of faculty times. Within the magazine, they featured yours truly as the university’s Equity Champion, so I had the opportunity to talk about what that means to me and which role(s) it plays in my life.
Let’s chat human rights and the way our struggle to access and uphold equity (re)shapes our lives.
Learn about the “Quaranfling”
From the #socialdistancing safety of my laptop and new home, I participated in a forum discussion about dating during #covid19 and how that may influence our choices, actions and prospects.
We recorded the whole thing, so you can tag along our talking venture and provide feedback on how your #pandemic #dating is going. Take a listen and let me know what you think & if you have any tips for those looking for #love from under their masks and behind their computers.
Check out my latest article, “7 Reasons Dating Younger Men is a Smart Choice” via Your Tango
It’s time to throw away the tired cougar stereotypes that used to dominate narratives surrounding women who are romantically linked to a handsome, younger man (or men plural). From the sexy fun to the unique sense of confidence they exude, read about why I enjoy dating men who are 10-15 years than me.
May my new story inspire you to broaden your dating horizons, and age gap, should you be looking for love, sex or something else.
Publication in Be-Yourself-A-Medium Magazine
I transformed last week’s blog into a publication on Be-Yourself-A-Medium Magazine. This reflexive, tender piece reviews how an unassuming room- the bathroom- can be a space of solace and healing.
Thanks to Covid-19 and the need to isolate, to the level of a bubble, finding accessible places to ground ourselves is vital! Let me know how your relationships with everyday spaces has changed too. Remember, we’re all in this together…but just separately.
I was so excited to be featured by #forwomenwhoroar. This well-respected, fem-forward publication is amplifying the voices of women who refuse to go quietly into the night.
Read my article, “Reflections on a Date Gone Wrong,” via the wonderful website CHORUS.
Orchard, T. (Feb. 10, 2020). “Valentine’s Day: Gen Z avoid committed relationships, prefer ‘casual things’”, The Conversation Canada: Academic Rigour, Journalistic Flair, https://theconversation.com/valentines-day-gen-z-avoids-committed-relationships-prefers-casual-hookups-130936
Orchard, T. (Sept. 30, 2019). Bumble article comments indicate the rise of a far-right feminist-backlash, The Conversation Canada: Academic Rigour, Journalistic Flair. https://theconversation.com/bumble-article-comments-indicate-the-rise-of-a-far-right-feminist-backlash-121652
Orchard, T. (2019, Aug. 15). On the Bumble Dating app, it’s the woman who decides. But are men ready for this?. https://theconversation.com/amour-et-desir-sur-internet-les-hommes-ne-sont-pas-prets-a-se-faire-draguer-par-les-femmes-121395
(2019, July 28). Love, lust and digital dating: Men on the Bumble dating app aren’t ready for the Queen bee, Invited contribution to The Conversation Canada: Academic Rigour, Journalistic Flair. https://theconversation.com/love-lust-and-digital-dating-men-on-the-bumble-dating-app-arent-ready-for-the-queen-bee-120796.
Interviewed by Chris dela Torre of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation show, The Afternoon Drive (February 11, 2020). https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-80-afternoon-drive/clip/15760439-gen-z-hookup-culture
Featured guest on Sittin’ with Sallie, a Shaw Cable talk show in Kenora, Ontario (Channel 10). We discussed my Bumble dating app research and forthcoming book (June 4, 2019). YouTube: https://youtu.be/hsLcR-ijA_U
Featured in a Front Page story by Randy Richmond of the London Free Press ‘Western researcher shares dating app experience’ https://lfpress.com/life/relationships/western-researcher-shares-dating-app-experience (April 28, 2019)
Featured in story by Randy Richmond of the London Free Press ‘Is publicly naming sex buyers wise or reckless?‘ by Dale Carruthers https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/lfp-longform-is-publicly-naming-sex-buyers-wise-or-reckless (March 8, 2019)
Interviewed by Taniya Spoila of the Western Gazette and featured in the story ‘Myth: Girls Don’t Masturbate‘ https://westerngazette.ca/culture/myth-girls-don-t-masturbate/article_53f28b68-2f15-11e9-9664-6ff49b961a4f.html (February 14, 2019).
Interviewed by Eric Collins about my Bumble dating app research and book for the Health, Illness & Recovery show at 9.49, Western University radio (November 26, 2018).
- https://soundcloud.com/chrwradio/health-illness-recovery-ep-9-3 (Part 1)
- https://soundcloud.com/chrwradio/health-illness-recovery-ep-9-2 (Part 2)
Interviewed by and featured in a story by Sydney Bordinon about my Bumble book and dating in the 21st century for 106.9 The X FM news, entitled: ‘Are Dating Apps Killing Romance? https://www.cfrlradio.com/syn/202/75097/75097/ (September 16, 2018).
Interviewed by Grace To of the Western Gazette and featured in the story “Exploring the STI Testing Stigma” https://www.westerngazette.ca/culture/exploring-the-sti-testing-stigma/article_d41c2efc-9ae3-11e6-9d46-035f4b18a0b6.html (February 14, 2018).
Interviewed by Kristen Lee of the Western Gazette and featured in the story “What’s it like to be a Sex Worker on Valentine’s Day?” (February 14, 2018) https://www.westerngazette.ca/culture/what-it-s-like-to-be-a-sex-worker-on/article_3b8df0ce-0a06-11e8-9f97-c7d38de9aae4.html