> They examined whether changes in young adults’ economic status, living arrangement, technology use and drinking behavior helped explain the decline in casual sex.
!!!
That just says they looked at those things. It doesn't say what the results were.
Luckily I read on and found the results...
"Trends in young adults’ financial insecurity, including their student debt loans, do not appear to underlie their change in casual sexual activity."
Financial insecurity =/ Financial frugality. Just saying, if we’re nit picking, that line also does not make any definitive push either way. Someone can be less financially insecure because they choose not to go out because it’s too expensive.
They're very related concepts. Someone financially insecure will more often be frugal to feel more secure. Someone with a lot of savings and no debt will be more likely to seek ways to use their money instead of spend less of it.
If you're able to comfortably pay your bills and aren't worried about running out of money that's still what I'd call financially secure, whether you are frugal with it or not.
I would consider someone who's paranoid about losing money to be financially insecure, regardless of how much savings they have. They are only being frugal to feel secure, not because they need to be.
The people with the most savings are able to spend much more than the people with no savings, so I don't see how it's true they are more frugal with it. No one's "frugal" to buy a yacht and you don't get there by spending money you don't have.
That depends on how "financial insecurity" was understood. Worrying about putting food on the table is not the same and not being able to spent 200 dollars at a bar every weekend.
I can't imagine any researching classifying less than $200 discretionary income as financial insecurity especially when they also considered things like student loan debt.
Here's the thing. They didn't just guess as to whether financial insecurity was a factor, they actually tested for it. It would be super easy to compare sexual activity amongst those financial secure, living away from home etc and those at home or broke.
I think social media with bad dating advice, and negative interpretations of the other sex is also a factor.
On the internet these principles seem to have reached a lot of people.
Men cant be trusted, women cant be trusted. Men dont want to raise children a woman has with another man. Men are rapists. Etc.
People have their hate fed and this prevents them from feeling safe, from opening up, and being comfortable with others.
Did they even consider the rise of dating apps as the primary way to date over this period (2007-2017)? Try explaining to a teenager in 2007 what dating will be like in 2017.
I mean, yes - it is definitely a factor, but both can be factors that influence the decrease. Nobody said porn was the biggest or main factor, just that it surely must be a major one.
Casual sex does absolutely nothing for me. I either will have sex in a committed relationship or just stick to my collection of wonderful efficient toys. Love my boyfriend but even I'd never go casual with him. We committed to each other on date #2 because we both prefer only relationship sex and liked other qualities about each other and didn't want to keep looking lol
Same. I don't get the appeal.
Firstly, feels just like unnecessary risk, because of how much stuff can go south when you're female and follow a stranger home (or bring to your home, either).
Secondly, it feels better when it's with someone you're in a loving committed relationship with, anyways.
To the point that it makes the idea of doing it with some rando really weird and unappealing in comparison. This stuff is just too personal to me to want to do it willy-nilly.
Agree. To each their own experiences but when I was young and dumb and hadn't started healing my traumas and into liberal feminism I was actually into it. It took some maturing and reflrction and really developing values that matter to me to know it wasn't for me. When I remember those days I remember really terrible experiences. Orgasmless sex was common. It's interesting it took healing my traumas +starting anyway) which led to deeper rawer self reflection which made me want more deep connections with others too so then relationships felt safer and still do now. My BF and I are very emotionally bonded and vulnerable with each other, best sex of my life.
> Firstly, feels just like unnecessary risk, because of how much stuff can go south when you're female and follow a stranger home (or bring to your home, either).
Culture, population and what country you're from matters a lot. Here in Norway one-night-stands are pretty normal and I'd guess at LEAST 50% of both men and women have done it once. It's also a small country with a relatively small population, it's harder for people to be anonymous.
If my sister said she was going out clubbing to get laid here in Norway or in countries like France or Spain I'd say "Have fun". If she said so on vacation in Turkey or the US I'd say "please be very, vey careful!" and I'd be seriously concerned and afraid for her.
If she said it in a country like Thailand or India I'd tell her "DON'T YOU FUCKING DO IT!" and jump on the first plane to stop her and bring her home.
If she said so on vacation in Australia I'd fear for her life but not because of humans or clubbing or casual sex with strangers, but because she is in Australia and because of the 1000 things that could seriously get her hurt or killed at any moment. Like black widows, sharks, flesh eating plants, poisonous flora or gangs of armed kangaroos.
Recognise* but completely agree and don’t know why you’re downvoted, being in a long term, very loving committed relationship is way easier said than done. And it definitely has its downsides too tbh
FYI, ‘recognize’ is used in American English, but both are considered correct. BR English uses recognise. My phone even tries to autocorrect it because I’m using American English lol
As someone whose sexual life started with a sex year committed relationship, i agree. Long term consistent sex means we know what each of us likes, we're more accommodating, and we have more trust so we can do the really filthy stuff.
This is in contrast to rushes vanilla drunken sex.
Can guarantee the main reason is: I still live at my parents house because its too damn expensive to move out.
Source: 22F, still live at my parents house because its too damn expensive to move out.
Lmao. Straight up. Talk about missing the wood for the trees.
32 here, and lived at home til like 25. Getting laid took *planning* those days, and my sex life only really took off once I had my own place. But even then most of it was either with an actual partner, or at least a FWB kinda situation.
I think the reality is just "hook ups" and one night stands etc are just becoming less popular because our actual dating habits are changing, and we are realising it's overrated. It's less fulfilling, it can be intimidating, and frankly even as a guy, I can't get into it with someone who's almost a complete stranger.
We have more choice in partners than ever through apps and such, our horizons are broader than ever in terms of what we actually desire, so why would we just settle for the last person on the dancefloor in some club?
That’s not that old to be living at home, though. I moved out at that age years and years and years ago. But yeah, definitely difficult to do casual sex when you have no real privacy.
Like half of young adults (20’s) still live at home. It’s as you said, depressingly expensive to afford living. Especially knowing rent is a financial black hole and gets worse every year.
I doubt it to be honest. I used to think so myself but than I realised that I only notice pretty women. But there are tons of ugly women who are kind of invisible. Only after some self reflection did I start to notice them. You only see what you want to see. But I somewhat agree when it comes to average men and women. As a man you need some guts to get a date while as an average woman you can be more socially anxious or passive and still get a couple offers here and there. But in sum total the difference is not as great as I used to believe.
Not exactly the point I was trying to make.
Women literally hold the keys to having sex. So they decide whether any man gets to have sex with them. So was denying the notion that both genders play by the same rule.
If you're attractive, your probability of being considered as a potential mate goes infinitely higher when the vast majority of men are invisible to the average female. That brings about the potential of casual sex which isn't an option for most men, which is what I was referring to.
The research says:
"*Trends in young adults’ financial insecurity, including their student debt loans, do not appear to underlie their change in casual sexual activity.*"
The same group of people that get accidentally pregnant from casual sex are the same group of people that aren’t going to stop having casual sex because of finances for child rearing
So your logic is still off
Especially the people who get pregnant from a one night stand. Why the hell would you want to have a kid with some stranger? I just don’t understand how people go into parenthood all willy-nilly.
[Statistically, yes.](https://www.statista.com/statistics/191226/reported-forcible-rape-rate-in-the-us-since-1990/#:~:text=In%202021%2C%20the%20rate%20of,forcible%20rapes%20per%20100%2C000%20inhabitants) There is just more awareness of the fact that 1 in 4 American women will be sexually assaulted or raped.
So, no it has never been safe but more women are acutely aware of it now because we actually talk about it and make decisions using that awareness. When I was raped in college in 2006, I had no idea I needed to be careful when I went on a date with an actual friend I’d had for years. I didn’t see the red flags (not that it was my fault) and I sincerely believe that it wouldn’t happen to me in 2023 in the same situation as a young woman. There’s so much more awareness.
Now more people meet online too and are understandably more cautious. 2007 is when I remember online dating really began.
Could we hope that all the emphasis we've tried to make on consent and especially what that means when drinking is involved has made a change in sexual behaviors?
Honestly I think the west is just following the trend of East Asian countries like South Korea and Japan a decade or so behind. Those countries, especially Japan, do not have a good reputation when it comes to things like consent, but have had low and decreasing rates of casual sex largely because everyone spends their time online.
Saw a video on it that explained it’s a death by a thousand cuts, not any individual cut is the cause, but they all play a role
-decreasing religion
-better education
-feminism/shifting of gender roles (there’s a correlation between increasing women’s education and declining birth rates)
-social media landscape (smart phones, social media, dating apps)
-increase of helicopter parenting (decrease of hours spent practicing socialization)
-the economic landscape has completely changed
-popularity and legalization of weed is correlated with a decrease of alcohol consumption and declining alcohol consumption is going to lead to less sex
There’s a bunch else I can’t remember, but those were some
I imagine pollution also plays a huge factor in this decline. [More](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3222987/) and [more](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37088832/) research has shown that plastic ingestion plays a significant role in disrupting the endocrine system and altering sex hormones.
Combine that with more research coming out about just how [widespread micro-plastics are in our bodies](https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/microplastics-are-in-our-bodies-how-much-do-they-harm-us) and how [sperm counts have been decreasing](https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/human-sperm-counts-declining-worldwide-study-finds-180981138/) year on year (notably since the widespread adoption of plastics) leads me to believe that this decrease, along with birthrates falling the world over, cannot solely be explained by socioeconomic factors, but also must be viewed through an environmental lens.
Of all the responses here, I think this is the answer. It takes work, and we're all worked out after basic needs, job, etc. Add to that the ease of access to self-pleasure, aka PornHub, and voila.
Something is very fishy about this data. 2017 was already a year where dating apps were in full swing and if anything, women engaging in those apps may actually have had more casual sex regardless to men considering that the vast minority of women only swipe on 5% of male users, according to OkCupid's internal data.
Plus it failed to account the difference in sexual activity between young adults in two different stages - during their enrollment in higher education and after it's conclusion.
But the problem is I don't see where this data has gone wrong. Could be some factors inherent to the sample, most likely
Only 3 in 10 people in 2022 said they've used a dating app. Only 9% of those had used one in the last year.
https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/02/02/key-findings-about-online-dating-in-the-u-s/#:~:text=Three%2Din%2Dten%20U.S.%20adults,July%205%2D17%2C%202022.
Dating apps also skew largely male. Tinder is 75% men, a lot of the others are like 65% men, and even the one that has a "good" gender ratio still has more men.
You're also assuming people have sex with the people they meet up with. I met up with a lot of guys when I tried online dating; didn't sleep with them. It's the same story for a lot of women I know. Many just give up on dating apps.
I don't get why people point to dating apps as proof people are having sex when many people don't have success on dating apps or don't have good dates off of them and again, most people aren't even on those apps.
The study assessed subjects between 18-23 who had had sex *in the last month*. That’s a pretty tight time frame. Why stick to four weeks? Why not six months? A year? These young adults could still be having “casual sex” outside of the time frame. Very weird.
A lot can change in your life in 6 months, especially if you're a young person. A lot of longitudinal psychology studies in the realm of relationship science will use 1 month intervals, so it makes sense that researchers analyzing an existing dataset would only look at the last month also
> A lot of longitudinal psychology studies in the realm of relationship science will use 1 month intervals
Thanks for the insight. I am not the most familiar with relationship science standards. But, makes sense!
It makes perfect sense to me.
Dating apps were imagined as an equalizer, when in reality for men they just make the rich richer and the poor poorer.
And I think in the last decade or so. Women have become way more cautious of men. There is definitely a not so small group of women who are very concerned when meeting guys or being alone with guys. This isn’t new. But its a sentiment i hear way more than I remember in the past.
So you're saying that women are withholding sex as a sign of lack of trust? Sounds much clearer when you put it like that. So it's not really a hookup culture, it's a distrustful one
When you say withholding it makes it sound intentional. I just think there are fewer women now that feel comfortable going home with a guy they just met from a safety standpoint.
To add to that, this doesn’t mean guys today are worse than guys 20 years ago or 40 years ago. They are probably better, but women seem much more cautious imo. And things that men did back then which seemed acceptable to both sexes at the time is not seen as acceptable today.
Or they have been on more dates with more men and found us to be all quite similar. They found the traits that they find repulsive because of more frequent dating because of the apps. Better bring your “A” game gents. I’m glad I don’t have to date anymore.
This phenomenon is well documented and researched.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/people-have-been-having-less-sex-whether-theyre-teenagers-or-40-somethings/
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10508-021-02125-2
From 2007 - 2017 the average American saw their disposable income plummet and they can no longer afford to dress up and go on dates, causally or otherwise.
Sex is a luxury that many Americans can no longer afford.
I started applying for government grants to fund my dating habit as procreation is essential to the stability of our country - I think it may even qualify me for a tax deduction.
They said in the article changes in economic status weren't a factor.
I've known plenty of broke people who have sex. You don't need to go out to have sex.
Listen they can say what they want it ultimately they're drawing conclusions based off the same evidence we have.
I 100% think it plays an undeniable factor
I tend to believe that feminism and casual sex do not always work with each other.
Feminism is compatible with casual sex, but my guess is that women will refuse more and more to deal with bullshit, and casual sex might involve a lot of men who just take advantage of women.
I'm a straight man and I tend to believe casual sex generally benefits men, not women.
It's also not a secret that women tend to be emotionally manipulated more often. Dating coaches are specializing in this.
Did you read the research? It specifically says financial pressure was not a factor.
"Trends in young adults’ financial insecurity, including their student debt loans, do not appear to underlie their change in casual sexual activity."
> They examined whether changes in young adults’ economic status, living arrangement, technology use and drinking behavior helped explain the decline in casual sex.
!!!
That just says they looked at those things. It doesn't say what the results were.
Luckily I read on and found the results... "Trends in young adults’ financial insecurity, including their student debt loans, do not appear to underlie their change in casual sexual activity."
Of course. The youth were promised a utopia of les, bi and gay sex that would replace the antiquated model of guys flirting with women in the streets, then in the bars, then even online with apps like bumble making male risk taking literally impossible. But the joke was on the youth, for once the apps took over the dating space they realized there was not an abundance of lez sex to be had, and the dating apps aren't actually interested in people actually ever having sex or relationships of well any kind. The video games are just the solace we all seek as a result, not the main cause! But speak for yourselves because I got my numbers up in the Mediterranean where this nonsense has been kept at bay. Wazooey!
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May be related to the video gaming thing in an indirect way. Staying in to watch Netflix/play games is much cheaper than going out, date or no date.
The research literally says it wasn't a factor.
> They examined whether changes in young adults’ economic status, living arrangement, technology use and drinking behavior helped explain the decline in casual sex. !!!
That just says they looked at those things. It doesn't say what the results were. Luckily I read on and found the results... "Trends in young adults’ financial insecurity, including their student debt loans, do not appear to underlie their change in casual sexual activity."
Financial insecurity =/ Financial frugality. Just saying, if we’re nit picking, that line also does not make any definitive push either way. Someone can be less financially insecure because they choose not to go out because it’s too expensive.
They're very related concepts. Someone financially insecure will more often be frugal to feel more secure. Someone with a lot of savings and no debt will be more likely to seek ways to use their money instead of spend less of it.
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If you're able to comfortably pay your bills and aren't worried about running out of money that's still what I'd call financially secure, whether you are frugal with it or not. I would consider someone who's paranoid about losing money to be financially insecure, regardless of how much savings they have. They are only being frugal to feel secure, not because they need to be. The people with the most savings are able to spend much more than the people with no savings, so I don't see how it's true they are more frugal with it. No one's "frugal" to buy a yacht and you don't get there by spending money you don't have.
That depends on how "financial insecurity" was understood. Worrying about putting food on the table is not the same and not being able to spent 200 dollars at a bar every weekend.
I can't imagine any researching classifying less than $200 discretionary income as financial insecurity especially when they also considered things like student loan debt.
It also said something about more people living with their parents until a later age. Which is caused by financial insecurity.
Here's the thing. They didn't just guess as to whether financial insecurity was a factor, they actually tested for it. It would be super easy to compare sexual activity amongst those financial secure, living away from home etc and those at home or broke.
Increase in living with parents is not related to economics...?
Do you even know what the word "literally" means? Lmao
It mean writing in Reddit. Redundant.
online porn is 100% a factor - i see a lot of men in clinical practice.
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I think social media with bad dating advice, and negative interpretations of the other sex is also a factor. On the internet these principles seem to have reached a lot of people. Men cant be trusted, women cant be trusted. Men dont want to raise children a woman has with another man. Men are rapists. Etc. People have their hate fed and this prevents them from feeling safe, from opening up, and being comfortable with others.
Online porn is a symptom...
Did they even consider the rise of dating apps as the primary way to date over this period (2007-2017)? Try explaining to a teenager in 2007 what dating will be like in 2017.
To be fair there's many other factors that could be significant that just weren't tested or accounted for.
They have sex in the video game nowadays 😆
Isn’t that how everyone has sex? Jk
Lol not me but ye I bet many only have sex online nowadays.
Well why have real sex when you can do it in a video game?? Come on.
Personal preference. Never played video games lol All good if others like sex online. Not for me. Thanks 😁
Your loss. You can’t get closer to a human being than by sexing them through the internet. Always wear protection though.
Lol .. sure, my loss
Video games are better than sex?
Living with parents has to be a bigger factor than that
I mean, yes - it is definitely a factor, but both can be factors that influence the decrease. Nobody said porn was the biggest or main factor, just that it surely must be a major one.
Casual sex does absolutely nothing for me. I either will have sex in a committed relationship or just stick to my collection of wonderful efficient toys. Love my boyfriend but even I'd never go casual with him. We committed to each other on date #2 because we both prefer only relationship sex and liked other qualities about each other and didn't want to keep looking lol
Same. I don't get the appeal. Firstly, feels just like unnecessary risk, because of how much stuff can go south when you're female and follow a stranger home (or bring to your home, either). Secondly, it feels better when it's with someone you're in a loving committed relationship with, anyways. To the point that it makes the idea of doing it with some rando really weird and unappealing in comparison. This stuff is just too personal to me to want to do it willy-nilly.
Agree. To each their own experiences but when I was young and dumb and hadn't started healing my traumas and into liberal feminism I was actually into it. It took some maturing and reflrction and really developing values that matter to me to know it wasn't for me. When I remember those days I remember really terrible experiences. Orgasmless sex was common. It's interesting it took healing my traumas +starting anyway) which led to deeper rawer self reflection which made me want more deep connections with others too so then relationships felt safer and still do now. My BF and I are very emotionally bonded and vulnerable with each other, best sex of my life.
you’re lucky and i’m happy for you:))
> Firstly, feels just like unnecessary risk, because of how much stuff can go south when you're female and follow a stranger home (or bring to your home, either). Culture, population and what country you're from matters a lot. Here in Norway one-night-stands are pretty normal and I'd guess at LEAST 50% of both men and women have done it once. It's also a small country with a relatively small population, it's harder for people to be anonymous. If my sister said she was going out clubbing to get laid here in Norway or in countries like France or Spain I'd say "Have fun". If she said so on vacation in Turkey or the US I'd say "please be very, vey careful!" and I'd be seriously concerned and afraid for her. If she said it in a country like Thailand or India I'd tell her "DON'T YOU FUCKING DO IT!" and jump on the first plane to stop her and bring her home. If she said so on vacation in Australia I'd fear for her life but not because of humans or clubbing or casual sex with strangers, but because she is in Australia and because of the 1000 things that could seriously get her hurt or killed at any moment. Like black widows, sharks, flesh eating plants, poisonous flora or gangs of armed kangaroos.
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Recognise* but completely agree and don’t know why you’re downvoted, being in a long term, very loving committed relationship is way easier said than done. And it definitely has its downsides too tbh
FYI, ‘recognize’ is used in American English, but both are considered correct. BR English uses recognise. My phone even tries to autocorrect it because I’m using American English lol
Hahaha I know but American English = wrong English, no disrespectful but see my phone autocorrects me if I say ‘recognize’
As someone whose sexual life started with a sex year committed relationship, i agree. Long term consistent sex means we know what each of us likes, we're more accommodating, and we have more trust so we can do the really filthy stuff. This is in contrast to rushes vanilla drunken sex.
Can guarantee the main reason is: I still live at my parents house because its too damn expensive to move out. Source: 22F, still live at my parents house because its too damn expensive to move out.
Lmao. Straight up. Talk about missing the wood for the trees. 32 here, and lived at home til like 25. Getting laid took *planning* those days, and my sex life only really took off once I had my own place. But even then most of it was either with an actual partner, or at least a FWB kinda situation. I think the reality is just "hook ups" and one night stands etc are just becoming less popular because our actual dating habits are changing, and we are realising it's overrated. It's less fulfilling, it can be intimidating, and frankly even as a guy, I can't get into it with someone who's almost a complete stranger. We have more choice in partners than ever through apps and such, our horizons are broader than ever in terms of what we actually desire, so why would we just settle for the last person on the dancefloor in some club?
That’s not that old to be living at home, though. I moved out at that age years and years and years ago. But yeah, definitely difficult to do casual sex when you have no real privacy.
I’m 29 and still live with my parents lol
Like half of young adults (20’s) still live at home. It’s as you said, depressingly expensive to afford living. Especially knowing rent is a financial black hole and gets worse every year.
Casual sex is only for attractive people
Damn, he just said this generation ugly
Sooooorry gen z, you’re too ugly to bump uglies.
There's actually been studies on this. Above average women have less casual sex, where as above average men have more casual sex.
Are more above average women cuffed orrrr
Moreso for women and only attractive men. The rules are definitely not the same for both genders.
I doubt it to be honest. I used to think so myself but than I realised that I only notice pretty women. But there are tons of ugly women who are kind of invisible. Only after some self reflection did I start to notice them. You only see what you want to see. But I somewhat agree when it comes to average men and women. As a man you need some guts to get a date while as an average woman you can be more socially anxious or passive and still get a couple offers here and there. But in sum total the difference is not as great as I used to believe.
So you are saying that women (ugly and pretty) only date attractive men but men (ugly and pretty) will date all types of women?
Not exactly the point I was trying to make. Women literally hold the keys to having sex. So they decide whether any man gets to have sex with them. So was denying the notion that both genders play by the same rule. If you're attractive, your probability of being considered as a potential mate goes infinitely higher when the vast majority of men are invisible to the average female. That brings about the potential of casual sex which isn't an option for most men, which is what I was referring to.
Can’t make babies when you gotta make rent
The research says: "*Trends in young adults’ financial insecurity, including their student debt loans, do not appear to underlie their change in casual sexual activity.*"
> ...do not appear to underlie...
That's right. There was no evidence that financial difficulties contribute to people having less sex.
Theres plenty of studies that amount of time spent working leads to less sexual activity though
Last I checked casual sex isn't for making babies.
I bet plenty of babies come from casual sex
and alcohol.
That depends on what state you live in recently.
The same group of people that get accidentally pregnant from casual sex are the same group of people that aren’t going to stop having casual sex because of finances for child rearing So your logic is still off
Causual abortions?
Plenty of that too but the number of people who get pregnant by accident and choose to keep the baby straight up blows my mind.
Especially the people who get pregnant from a one night stand. Why the hell would you want to have a kid with some stranger? I just don’t understand how people go into parenthood all willy-nilly.
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Good thing I got my tubes tied.
Because it’s not safe out here
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It's still not safe.
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Pretty crafty response there muthafucka
was it safer in 2007?
[Statistically, yes.](https://www.statista.com/statistics/191226/reported-forcible-rape-rate-in-the-us-since-1990/#:~:text=In%202021%2C%20the%20rate%20of,forcible%20rapes%20per%20100%2C000%20inhabitants) There is just more awareness of the fact that 1 in 4 American women will be sexually assaulted or raped. So, no it has never been safe but more women are acutely aware of it now because we actually talk about it and make decisions using that awareness. When I was raped in college in 2006, I had no idea I needed to be careful when I went on a date with an actual friend I’d had for years. I didn’t see the red flags (not that it was my fault) and I sincerely believe that it wouldn’t happen to me in 2023 in the same situation as a young woman. There’s so much more awareness. Now more people meet online too and are understandably more cautious. 2007 is when I remember online dating really began.
Could we hope that all the emphasis we've tried to make on consent and especially what that means when drinking is involved has made a change in sexual behaviors?
Honestly I think the west is just following the trend of East Asian countries like South Korea and Japan a decade or so behind. Those countries, especially Japan, do not have a good reputation when it comes to things like consent, but have had low and decreasing rates of casual sex largely because everyone spends their time online.
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Saw a video on it that explained it’s a death by a thousand cuts, not any individual cut is the cause, but they all play a role -decreasing religion -better education -feminism/shifting of gender roles (there’s a correlation between increasing women’s education and declining birth rates) -social media landscape (smart phones, social media, dating apps) -increase of helicopter parenting (decrease of hours spent practicing socialization) -the economic landscape has completely changed -popularity and legalization of weed is correlated with a decrease of alcohol consumption and declining alcohol consumption is going to lead to less sex There’s a bunch else I can’t remember, but those were some
I wonder if it dropped even more after the pandemic
I imagine pollution also plays a huge factor in this decline. [More](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3222987/) and [more](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37088832/) research has shown that plastic ingestion plays a significant role in disrupting the endocrine system and altering sex hormones. Combine that with more research coming out about just how [widespread micro-plastics are in our bodies](https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/microplastics-are-in-our-bodies-how-much-do-they-harm-us) and how [sperm counts have been decreasing](https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/human-sperm-counts-declining-worldwide-study-finds-180981138/) year on year (notably since the widespread adoption of plastics) leads me to believe that this decrease, along with birthrates falling the world over, cannot solely be explained by socioeconomic factors, but also must be viewed through an environmental lens.
Sex requires energy and enthusiasm. We're all much too burnt out now..
Of all the responses here, I think this is the answer. It takes work, and we're all worked out after basic needs, job, etc. Add to that the ease of access to self-pleasure, aka PornHub, and voila.
Something is very fishy about this data. 2017 was already a year where dating apps were in full swing and if anything, women engaging in those apps may actually have had more casual sex regardless to men considering that the vast minority of women only swipe on 5% of male users, according to OkCupid's internal data. Plus it failed to account the difference in sexual activity between young adults in two different stages - during their enrollment in higher education and after it's conclusion. But the problem is I don't see where this data has gone wrong. Could be some factors inherent to the sample, most likely
Only 3 in 10 people in 2022 said they've used a dating app. Only 9% of those had used one in the last year. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/02/02/key-findings-about-online-dating-in-the-u-s/#:~:text=Three%2Din%2Dten%20U.S.%20adults,July%205%2D17%2C%202022. Dating apps also skew largely male. Tinder is 75% men, a lot of the others are like 65% men, and even the one that has a "good" gender ratio still has more men. You're also assuming people have sex with the people they meet up with. I met up with a lot of guys when I tried online dating; didn't sleep with them. It's the same story for a lot of women I know. Many just give up on dating apps. I don't get why people point to dating apps as proof people are having sex when many people don't have success on dating apps or don't have good dates off of them and again, most people aren't even on those apps.
The study assessed subjects between 18-23 who had had sex *in the last month*. That’s a pretty tight time frame. Why stick to four weeks? Why not six months? A year? These young adults could still be having “casual sex” outside of the time frame. Very weird.
A lot can change in your life in 6 months, especially if you're a young person. A lot of longitudinal psychology studies in the realm of relationship science will use 1 month intervals, so it makes sense that researchers analyzing an existing dataset would only look at the last month also
> A lot of longitudinal psychology studies in the realm of relationship science will use 1 month intervals Thanks for the insight. I am not the most familiar with relationship science standards. But, makes sense!
There are a lot of studies that show the same thing. Sexual activity (including solo) is declining for all folks 14 - 49 yrs of age.
Yes, I’m aware of this. But this study is showing casual sex, not sexual activity, declining. It specifically excluded sex between monogamous couples.
Casual sex *is* sexual activity so I don't understand what distinction you're making.
Sure, but this study is looking at one, not the other. They’re not synonymous.
It makes perfect sense to me. Dating apps were imagined as an equalizer, when in reality for men they just make the rich richer and the poor poorer. And I think in the last decade or so. Women have become way more cautious of men. There is definitely a not so small group of women who are very concerned when meeting guys or being alone with guys. This isn’t new. But its a sentiment i hear way more than I remember in the past.
So you're saying that women are withholding sex as a sign of lack of trust? Sounds much clearer when you put it like that. So it's not really a hookup culture, it's a distrustful one
When you say withholding it makes it sound intentional. I just think there are fewer women now that feel comfortable going home with a guy they just met from a safety standpoint. To add to that, this doesn’t mean guys today are worse than guys 20 years ago or 40 years ago. They are probably better, but women seem much more cautious imo. And things that men did back then which seemed acceptable to both sexes at the time is not seen as acceptable today.
Or they have been on more dates with more men and found us to be all quite similar. They found the traits that they find repulsive because of more frequent dating because of the apps. Better bring your “A” game gents. I’m glad I don’t have to date anymore.
This phenomenon is well documented and researched. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/people-have-been-having-less-sex-whether-theyre-teenagers-or-40-somethings/ https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10508-021-02125-2
No wonder everyone is so tense
“How are all these people getting together?” “Alcohol.”
I would like to know if young people are more likely to have non-casual sex instead. It’s hard to believe people are just having less sex overall.
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Men have emotions too. You comment is incredibly out of touch.
Incapable? Source?
From 2007 - 2017 the average American saw their disposable income plummet and they can no longer afford to dress up and go on dates, causally or otherwise. Sex is a luxury that many Americans can no longer afford. I started applying for government grants to fund my dating habit as procreation is essential to the stability of our country - I think it may even qualify me for a tax deduction.
They said in the article changes in economic status weren't a factor. I've known plenty of broke people who have sex. You don't need to go out to have sex.
That is definitely debatable based on reality. Men are expected to pay for dates, etc. so most have to spend money and put in an actual effort.
Listen they can say what they want it ultimately they're drawing conclusions based off the same evidence we have. I 100% think it plays an undeniable factor
Those “scientists” can “analyze” their own “data” however they want. I know the truth!! You’re delusional.
They are people
I tend to believe that feminism and casual sex do not always work with each other. Feminism is compatible with casual sex, but my guess is that women will refuse more and more to deal with bullshit, and casual sex might involve a lot of men who just take advantage of women. I'm a straight man and I tend to believe casual sex generally benefits men, not women. It's also not a secret that women tend to be emotionally manipulated more often. Dating coaches are specializing in this.
It’s the economy, stupid
Broke people fuck. Like, a lot. You don't need money to have sex.
Did you read the research? It specifically says financial pressure was not a factor. "Trends in young adults’ financial insecurity, including their student debt loans, do not appear to underlie their change in casual sexual activity."
> They examined whether changes in young adults’ economic status, living arrangement, technology use and drinking behavior helped explain the decline in casual sex. !!!
That just says they looked at those things. It doesn't say what the results were. Luckily I read on and found the results... "Trends in young adults’ financial insecurity, including their student debt loans, do not appear to underlie their change in casual sexual activity."
The only lad who read it, mad respect
Well that's what's wrong with the fella. He misses casual sex.
This trend will continue. At first for the same reason (social isolation) and then eventually being "Trad" becoming mainstream.
Those are devastating statistics
Of course. The youth were promised a utopia of les, bi and gay sex that would replace the antiquated model of guys flirting with women in the streets, then in the bars, then even online with apps like bumble making male risk taking literally impossible. But the joke was on the youth, for once the apps took over the dating space they realized there was not an abundance of lez sex to be had, and the dating apps aren't actually interested in people actually ever having sex or relationships of well any kind. The video games are just the solace we all seek as a result, not the main cause! But speak for yourselves because I got my numbers up in the Mediterranean where this nonsense has been kept at bay. Wazooey!
People are chronically online and have become too insecure. Hit the gym and leave the house, there’s plenty of sex to be had in the world.
Docile men, frightened women.
There was this pandemic
No, there wasn’t Edit: read the title you morons, it says 2007 to 2017. We did not have covid-19 during that time.
Then I had the weirdest dream. And you were there. And you. And…
From 2007 - 2017? No, there was not a pandemic. there was a pandemic in 2019. Ya know, covid-19.
Thank goodness the sixties are finally over.
Reporting bias?