Do young adults have less sex these days – and why?

There’s a prudish label stuck to Gen Z young adults and it has been so by a lot of people in recent years. Today, you can find a negative term that describes the phenomenon of puriteen, according to the Urban Dictionary. Young adults that are pureteens are moralising about age gaps in relationships, especially on social media and are much less likely to have sex nowadays. It’s not about generalizing the lives of millions of people, but there are studies in recent years that reported that teens have a trend of being less and less sexually active these days. Plus, their sex lives starts later and they have fewer partners than earlier generations. Gen Zers — those poeple currently aged between 6 and 24—are aware of how they are perceived by others. And as the label suggests, this phenomenon is cast in terms of morality. If millennials are described as the hookup culture generation, young millennials were said to be the new Victorians and super prudish and shy when it comes to sex. However, it’s only sex we’re talking about, because this new generation tends to be the least conservative on things like same-sex relationships or sex before marriage. So, they are open minded, they just don’t like sex. 

Perhaps rather than morality, the decline in sexual activity in young teens is caused by some of their life conditions, especially when you think about the economic and technological factors. Many are still living with their parents and can’t afford a separate place. Plus, studies show that young adults are healthier and more careful with their lifestyle, drinking less, spending more living at home and eating healthy. It’s no surprise that some teens have changed the level of clout attached to casual sex and they consider casual sex like a weird thing to do, through the lens of objectifying and they think it doesn’t worth the effort, finally. More and more young people are asexual nowadays. Plus, the internet gives them the opportunity to explore sexuality virtually, without being physical. A study shows that 87% of teens have viewed porn. Besides porn, they can enjoy erotic fan fiction, sex educational videos, articles and videos about sex work and different guides on sex and hookups.  There are also Netflix shows like Bonding and Sex Education that help teens learn more about sex without them being active.

Teens are more interested nowadays in political themes, climate change, environmental issues and there are also personal reasons for staying away from sexual activity, like mental issues - depression and anxiety. Many teens still feel a discomfort with their bodies and lack confidence. After all, the longer you wait, the harder it gets to hook up with other people. Although dating apps might help at least trying and exercising in socialising and going on dates. But they might still be uncomfortable. This sexual discomfort is caused by distressing sexual episodes and harrasment they suffer online. In the age of unsolicited dick pics and videos, a lot of young women prefer to hang on just virtually but not go on dates. Sexual harrasment means also that you could be having sexual advances from older men, which young adults like to avoid of corse. In case you are not familiar with the term, child grooming is a hot topic these days, as there are more and more scandals on this topic and celebrities are suspected of grooming. So no wonder there is a fear of predators and paedophiles. During a recent study, 67% of Gen Z women reported sexual harassment and assault. Ultimately, it’s not difficult to understand why some Gen Z young teens might become puriteens. Especially when social media can be dangerous!