The 'Sex Recession:' How Tech is Contributing to Young People Doing It Less
*By Max Godnick*
If you're searching for hook-ups on social media or via dating apps, you're probably doing it wrong.
Young people are having less sex [according to the latest cover story in The Atlantic](https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/12/the-sex-recession/573949/), and technology is contributing to the generational dry spell.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, only 41 percent of high-school students reported having had sex in 2015 compared to 51 percent in 1991. In 2014, the average American had sex 54 times a year, down from 62 times in the late 1990s.
From economic stress to a rise in anxiety rates, researchers have pegged the decline on a variety of potential factors. But like most everything at the core of millennial sociology ー social media and technology might be to blame for the so-called "sex recession."
"It seems like they would make things easier, and for some people they do, but they don't work they don't work that well for a lot of people," Kate Julian, senior editor at The Atlantic, said of dating apps Thursday in an interview on Cheddar.
"They can be demoralizing and inefficient."
She pins part of the problem on the gamification of online dating ー people report using apps like Tinder for upwards of an hour and a half a day, not to find a potential partner but instead, "for an ego boost or for a diversion," Julian said.
"They're not necessarily following through on it with real-life interactions."
And then, there's porn.
According to Julian, researchers aren't quite sure how the rise in pornography led to a drop in sex, but it's undoubtedly a factor.
"We can say that over the period of time that digital porn has existed, people have reported masturbating a lot more," she explained.
Online porn isn't only causing young people to have less sex ー it's also making sex worse.
"Porn may be changing the way people are having sex to some extent," Julian said. "There are a lot of things that are prevalent in porn that maybe your average person doesn't want to experience," she added citing practices popularized in porn like non-consensual choking.
"It really didn't want to make them come back for more."
But some people are still getting luckyー and possibly even in record numbers.
Julian acknowledged that the sweeping statistical analysis may not reflect the experiences of individuals whose sex lives have been helped by the destigmitazation and digitization of sex.
"Some people very well may be having more sex than ever and there's some data that suggests that, we're just talking about averages," she said.
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/the-atlantic-explains-why-young-people-are-having-less-sex).
Angel Cornelius, Founder & CEO of Maison 276, joins ChedHER to discuss how she created her own beauty solutions right from her kitchen using plant-based, sustainable ingredients and why it's important to celebrate women of all ages and races.
On this episode of ChedHER:PWR WMN Co-Founders discuss how they are building an apparel brand to make women feel confident and powerful; Founder & CEO of Jack & Annie's breaks down the benefits to jackfruit, and how our meat consumption impacts the environment; Founder & CEO of Maison 276 explains how she created her own beauty solutions right from her kitchen using plant-based, sustainable ingredients and why it's important to celebrate women of all ages and races.
Catching you up on what you need to know on April 18, 2022, with Russian missile attacks on the Ukrainian city of Lviv killing seven, mass shootings in South Carolina and Pittsburgh, Lucky Charms cereal under official investigation by the FDA, and more.
Lisa Whalen, Automotive and Mobility Analyst at Morning Consult, joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to break down the famed auto show's emphasis on electric vehicles this year, reflecting a shift toward electrification in the automotive industry.
On this episode of ChedHER, Amira Rasool, CEO and Founder of The Folklore, discusses her $1.7 million pre-seed funding round and why she's being intentional about the investors she's working with; Brittany Merrill-Yeng, co-founder Skrewball Whiskey, reveals the origins of Skrewball Whisky, experiencing a period of rapid growth, and navigating a male-dominated industry; Suz Hernandez, Owner of MamaP, breaks down how her company is combining eco-friendly and sustainable products with a mission to donate to non-profits that help people and the planet.
On this episode of ChedHER: Founder and CEO of IvyWise discusses how the higher education industry has evolved over the past 20 years; CEO and Founder of Stax Payments breaks down how to get more female founders to break $1 million in revenue; Chief Impact Officer & SVP at The Minneapolis Foundation explains how the foundation is driving action for the greatest civic, social, and economic needs.
On this episode of Cheddar Innovates: President of The Pillow Bar breaks down how everyone can benefit from a pillow customized to their unique way of sleeping; CEO of H2Pro explains how to bring environmentally friendly hydrogen to scale; Cheddar gets a look at Curiosity Stream's 'Suppressed Science.'
On this episode of Cheddar Reveals, Andrea Swift, Chair of NYFA Documentary Department, discusses the documentary filmmaking process and why they remain so important in 2022; Nina Gilden Seavey, Founding Director, The Documentary Center Research at George Washington University, dissects the evolution of documentaries in the streaming age; Cheddar gets a look at Curiosity Stream's 'Nature Through Her Eyes.'
On this episode of ChedHER: Founder and CEO at Allara Health discusses how she's creating a platform for women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome or PCOS; General Manager of the Run/Train Business Unit at Puma breaks down how Puma is approaching a hybrid work model, and ways to empower women in the workplace; Founder and CEO of Mi Golondrina explains how she's empowering over 600 artisans from Mexico.
On this episode of Cheddar Innovates: Gardenuity CEO breaks down how gardening can improve your wellbeing; Augmedix CEO discusses how this technology is helping doctors fight burnout; Cheddar gets a look at Curiosity Stream's 'Suppressed Science.'
