Asking women is not the answer here, because you still go through that societal filter. Besides, rarely does someone know what they want, in the first place.
"Ask a customer what they want, and they'll say they want a faster horse."
I'd add a big "but" here. There are pleanty of women who speak out and say that, yes, sometimes women just want a fling. Ask a woman who identifies as a feminist. They are usually less concerned with upholding traditional gender roles, and often can speak freerer.
However you're right that the societal filter can apply. If a conservative older, more powerful, man asks a woman (e.g. a 40 y.o. boss asking a 20 y.o. new employee), then yes, sometimes people don't tell the boss everything.
A general advise of "don't listen to women!" is very disturbing.
Then it argues that it is because the ratios are skewed.
I am arguing that the ratios are only skewed if they look in the places where the ratios are skewed.
It is possible that the assumption is not correct, but then the whole argument about the ratios being skewed makes no sense, because the "fling problem" disappears.
well It's a US article and they give the sats for the US, as well as some major metropolitan areas. Where else should they be looking?
>The article makes an implicit assumption that girls don't want a fling and want marriage instead.
They do address this, for Silicon valley they show that in an area where the gender ratio favours women there are more marriages which are more stable. It's just one data point, but addresses your concern and this is an article not a study.
This is not the case, as there are dating apps where the ratio of desirable men to desirable women is large and where LTR is emphasized compared to instant sex.
Women aren't using these sites/apps.
So either the assumptions about women are wrong, or the argument that women are in this terrible situation where there are not enough educated men on dating sites looking for a LTR and where women are forced to have sex to possibly get to a relationship is incorrect.