5 Reasons Why Young People Are Having Less Sex

Young people are often told that they are too sheltered, too pretentious and downright lazy. On top of that, they’re apparently obsessed with sex and are constantly at it like rabbits.

And yet according to Kate Julian’s “Sex Recession”, the youth of today are having sex at a much later date than generations before. Despite living in a progressive, sex-positive society where knowledge and access to contraception are widespread, young people are still not engaging in as much sex as society likes to believe. 

Want to know why? Here are 5 reasons:

#1.    Stress And Anxiety 

Stress and anxiety? What stress and anxiety? 

Sure, it can be easy to believe the hype that young people have zero worries, are glued to their video games or social media, and can’t hold a conversation to save their life. 

Do you know what the above is called? Misconceptions. 

Don’t let Instagram make you believe we have it together. With fears of finding a stable job post-education, university loan debts piling up with interest, society’s expectations that young people should be moved out of their parents’ homes by their 20s, it can be easy to have your libido cut in half. Another major concern for young individuals is coming to terms with climate grief, since many believe that bringing children into this chaotic, crazy world might not be the right thing to do. When you’re stressed, your cortisol levels increase dramatically, meaning your sex drive is pretty much non-existent as energy is used up for more serious issues at hand. 

#2.    Body Image Issues. 

Speaking of Instagram, with so many male and female social media models flaunting their assets and 1000 gym routines to get it that way, it can get pretty hard to accept yourself the way you are. Having a negative body image and feeling self-conscious about yourself is very likely to damage your sex drive. Young people are likely to have skewered expectations of sex and the naked body because of digital fabrications of what it means to be “fit” or “beautiful”. As such, many prefer to just not have sex at all, if it means being vulnerable and held to ridiculous standards.
 

 #3.    Going Solo 

Even if young people are having less sex, it doesn’t mean that they’re sexually frustrated. In the aforementioned article, Julian also states that the rates of masturbation have increased from 1992-2014 (double for men and triple for women). With greater access to pornography and sex toys online, young people might find that they can satisfy themselves without the help of a partner. 

If meeting people, striking up conversations and investing time and energy into relationships aren’t your thing, then why not skip the whole process and enjoy yourself by yourself? A quick listen to Clean Bandit’s “Solo” will tell you as much. 

#4.    Too Many Distractions

It’s not that Netflix and YouTube are more important than sex (well, maybe). It’s that with wider access to technology, it’s easier to keep oneself distracted or entertained for longer durations. 

Rather than going out with friends or socializing with new people, we’d much rather get in bed and binge on Queer Eye all day. Staying at home isn’t as boring as it used to be. Human interaction is limited in this digital era we live in and so the chances of striking up a bond that can lead to a sexual relationship is decreased. 

#5.    Freedom Of Mind 

In a society that is socially conscious about gender inequality, racial divide, freedom of speech, it’s understandable why the youth of today refuse to get with the status quo. Julian states that “these should be boom times for sex” if statistics have anything to say about it. But they don’t. You can’t totally predict how humans will behave as generations go by, especially in a social media age where different voices can be heard. Young folk might not be having much sex simply because they just don’t care that much. 

With less parental pressure and open-minded society, they’re free to choose how they want to live their lives and having sex at a later date or not having it much is perhaps one of the ways they’ve chosen to live it.  

Next up, The 3 Secrets To Living Longer And More Positively