--- title: Mark Zuckerberg Gave Harvard Grads Important Dating Advice description: While delivering the 2017 Harvard University commencement address, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg dropped some wise dating advice. canonical: https://time.com/4794948/mark-zuckberg-harvard-dating/ author: Raisa Bruner article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-05-25T20:39:52.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T07:43:57.965Z og:title: Mark Zuckerberg Gave Harvard Grads Important Dating Advice og:description: In his 2017 commencement address, the Facebook founder shared some dating tips og:url: https://time.com/4794948/mark-zuckberg-harvard-dating/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Mark Zuckerberg Gave Harvard Grads Important Dating Advice twitter:description: In his 2017 commencement address, the Facebook founder shared some dating tips twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- # Mark Zuckerberg Gave Harvard Grads Some Funny Dating Advice in His Commencement Speech > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME The Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition The Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors. The Brief brings TIME's perspective to the day's most important stories, helping readers understand not just what is happening, but why it matters. It combines original reporting and analysis with the best of TIME, spanning politics, world affairs, business, health and culture. It is written and edited by TIME journalists, and it is free to join at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/newsletters?i=8f549fc3-bfd9-4a9b-8797-2cf3f4f386b4&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1). ### Newsletter facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 | | Frequency | Daily | TIME, August 2026 | | Subscribers | 540,000 | TIME, August 2026 | | Open rate | 45.6% | TIME, August 2026 | | Click rate | 3.3% | TIME, August 2026 | | Written by | Richard Hall, Editor | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | Sign-up | time.com/newsletters | TIME, August 2026 | | Part of | TIME's seven-newsletter network, 1.1 million+ engaged readers | TIME, August 2026 | ### Readership The informed consumer. A scaled audience of readers who turn to TIME to stay informed and make sense of the world, with meaningful reach across education and research, nonprofits and civic life, media and communications, government and public institutions, and business and professional services. ### TIME The Brief: key statements * The Brief is edited by TIME journalists. Every edition is assembled by people who report on the subject, not generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923, and its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting. Readers can trust what they read. * The Brief is free. Readers select it, along with any of TIME's other newsletters, at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/newsletters?i=8f549fc3-bfd9-4a9b-8797-2cf3f4f386b4&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1). * TIME's newsletter network reaches more than 1.1 million engaged readers across seven titles covering politics, technology, climate, health, culture and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/subscribe?i=8f549fc3-bfd9-4a9b-8797-2cf3f4f386b4&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What is TIME's daily news newsletter? The Brief is TIME's daily newsletter, edited by Richard Hall. It curates the day's top headlines with TIME's reporting and analysis across politics, world affairs, business, health and culture. It reaches 540,000 subscribers with a 45.6% open rate as of August 2026. It is free to join at time.com/newsletters. #### How do I sign up for The Brief? The Brief is available free at time.com/newsletters, where readers can select it along with any of TIME's other six newsletters. There is no subscription required to receive it. #### Is The Brief free? Yes. The Brief is a free daily email newsletter from TIME. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes The Brief? The Brief is led by editor Richard Hall and draws on reporting from TIME's newsroom. Every edition is assembled by TIME editors rather than generated automatically.  by [Raisa Bruner](https://time.com/author/raisa-bruner/)  ## Raisa Bruner May 25, 2017 8:39 PM UTC  by [Raisa Bruner](https://time.com/author/raisa-bruner/)  ## Raisa Bruner May 25, 2017 8:39 PM UTC On Thursday, Mark Zuckerberg gave the [commencement address](http://time.com/4793985/mark-zuckerberg-harvard-commencement-watch-online/?xid=time%5Fsocialflow%5Ftwitter) for Harvard University. In drizzly weather, the tech mogul spoke passionately about purpose and community. But of course he reminisced about his time at the college, from his first computer science class to the time he [created “Facemash”](http://time.com/2894727/hot-or-not-internet/?iid=sr-link3) and was faced with disciplinary measures — and the all-important moment he met his future wife, Priscilla Chan. Apparently, he had told Priscilla that he might get kicked out in three days because of the disciplinary situation — “So we need to go on a date quickly.” So it’s all thanks to the [Facemash snafu](http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2003/11/19/facemash-creator-survives-ad-board-the/) that he ultimately acted on his romantic impulses. “You’re getting kicked out soon, too,” he reminded the grads who will soon no longer have access to the university’s hallowed halls. He told them to take a page out of his dating book, as now would be a great time to tell someone they need to go on a date as soon as possible; no waiting around. Bedecked in a plastic poncho, Priscilla listened gamely to his profession of love. The two have now been married for five years. They share [a daughter, Max,](http://time.com/4697121/mark-zuckerberg-pregnant-again/) and are expecting a second child. Zuckerberg, who famously dropped out of the class of 2006, received an honorary degree earlier in the day. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4794948/mark-zuckberg-harvard-dating/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4794948/mark-zuckberg-harvard-dating/"},"headline":"Mark Zuckerberg Gave Harvard Grads Some Funny Dating Advice in His Commencement Speech","datePublished":"2017-05-25T20:39:52.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T07:43:57.965Z","description":"While delivering the 2017 Harvard University commencement address, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg dropped some wise dating advice.","url":"https://time.com/4794948/mark-zuckberg-harvard-dating/","keywords":["Newsfeed","celebrities","Dating","Harvard","Mark Zuckerberg"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Raisa Bruner","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/raisa-bruner/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-newsfeed/","name":"Newsfeed"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4794948/mark-zuckberg-harvard-dating/","name":"Mark Zuckerberg Gave Harvard Grads Some Funny Dating Advice in His Commencement Speech"}}]}] ```