Millennials Less Sexually Active than Gen-X Peers
A new study by an 色情视频 psychology professor finds that todays young adults are less likely to have had sex than those a generation ago.
Since time immemorial, older generations have fretted over the sexual habits of young people. In today鈥檚 world, however, elders might just be wondering why young people are having so little sex, according to a new study by 色情视频 psychology professor Jean M. Twenge.
A research team also including Ryne Sherman from Florida Atlantic University and Brooke Wells from Widener University analyzed data from 26,707 respondents to the General Social Survey, a nationally representative survey of U.S. adults that includes members of the current millennial generation and its predecessor, Generation X. The researchers found that today鈥檚 young people are less likely to have had sex since turning 18.
According to Twenge, author of the book 鈥淕eneration Me,鈥� 15 percent of 20- to 24-year-olds born in the 1990s reported having no sexual partners since age 18, compared to only 6 percent of Generation X鈥檈rs when they were young adults. This sexual inactivity stands in stark contrast to the so-called 鈥渉ookup culture鈥� reportedly pervasive among Millennials: More are not having sex at all, much less hooking up with multiple partners.
鈥淥nline dating apps should, in theory, help Millennials find sexual partners more easily,鈥� she said. 鈥淗owever, technology may have the opposite effect if young people are spending so much time online that they interact less in person, and thus don鈥檛 have sex.鈥�
Concerns over personal safety and a media landscape saturated with reports of collegiate sexual abuse might also contribute to millennials鈥� sexual inactivity compared to previous generations, Twenge continued.
鈥淭his generation is very interested in safety, which also appears in their reduced use of alcohol and their interest in 鈥榮afe spaces鈥� on campus,鈥� she said. 鈥淭his is a very risk-averse generation, and that attitude may be influencing their sexual choices.鈥�
Other factors contributing to fewer millennials having sex could include the widespread availability of pornography, the historically high number of young adults living with their parents, the later age at first marriage, and increased access to instant entertainment online. The researchers this week in the journal Archives of Sexual Behavior.
Today鈥檚 teens also appear to be less sexually active. According to the Centers for Disease Control鈥檚 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, the percentage of U.S. high school students who have ever had sex dropped from 54 percent in 1991 to 41 percent in 2015.
鈥淭his generation appears to be waiting longer to have sex, with an increasing minority apparently waiting until their early twenties or later,鈥� said Twenge. 鈥淚t鈥檚 good news for sexual and emotional health if teens are waiting until they are ready. But if young adults forgo sex completely, they may be missing out on some of the advantages of an adult romantic relationship.鈥�
