It’s a tale as old as...Tinder. Approximately 15 percent of Americans have used dating apps or sites as of 2016, according to [Pew Research Center](http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/02/29/5-facts-about-online-dating/). But those apps and sites may also have created to a romantic landscape where quantity seems to have overtaken quality, according to Joanna Coles, Chief Content Officer at Hearst Magazines and author of “Love Rules.” “Just as there is junk food, there is also junk love,” Coles told Cheddar in an interview Wednesday. “I think of dating apps a bit like Costco.” “They’re [a] completely overwhelming experience, loads and loads of options, and you need to find the real produce aisle to look for the quality goods.” While dating apps are useful, they shouldn’t be the only way people look for love, warned Coles. “You do have to put your phone down.” Coles is a powerhouse in the media industry. In 2016, she was named Chief Content Officer at Hearst after she headed up the publisher’s signature titles, including *Cosmopolitan*, *Marie Claire*, and *Seventeen*. She was also the Executive Producer of the series “The Bold Type,” which is based on her life as a magazine editor. Her new book, she said, is informed by the many women she met during her impressive professional journey. She said one of the biggest things she found through these conversations is that women felt “interchangeable.” “If you go online and think you are finding the one, you will almost inevitably be disappointed.” Additionally, Coles is one of just two women on the board of Snap, Inc., and admits that the rarity of women at the top and the lack of pay parity is [“insane.”](https://cheddar.com/videos/we-have-to-keep-banging-on-about-equal-pay) “I think the awareness around this issue is absolutely transformed [from] where it was even five years ago,” she said. “We have to keep banging on about it.” Her book, “Love Rules,” is out now. For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/finding-love-in-the-digital-dating-age).
