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Experts reveal the obvious reasons why young people are having less sex than previous generations

Younger generations are spending less time listening to Al Green and more time online. The Internet’s role in why young adults are having less sex.

Younger generations are spending less time listening to Al Green and more time online. The Internet’s role in why young adults are having less sex.
Beata ZawrzelNurPhoto / Getty Images

A recent study published by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) reveals that younger people in California are having less sex than previous generations. While exploring the reasons behind this decline in the Golden State, the study highlights several contributing factors and aligns with other reports on the broader trend taking place at the national level.

Growing loneliness within U.S. society

However, before diving into the findings, it’s important to contextualize them within the broader issue of social isolation affecting Americans across generations. It’s worth noting that there’s no magic number of close friends one should have to live a fulfilling life. The ideal number varies from person to person and depends on the depth of relationships an individual desires.

Research by Pew indicates that U.S. residents today have significantly fewer friends and spend less time socializing than a decade ago. A 2023 report revealed that nearly two-thirds of individuals surveyed across generations reported having four or fewer close friends. Alarmingly, 8% of respondents stated they have no close friends at all, highlighting the growing isolation many people experience in their daily lives.

About one-in-six Americans (16%) say they feel lonely or isolated from those around them all or most of the time—including roughly equal shares of men and women,” Pew noted in another study, highlighting how a lack of close relationships contributes to loneliness.

Similarly, a survey by the American Psychiatric Association found that around 10% of respondents felt lonely daily, with an additional 30% experiencing these feelings weekly.

The internet’s role in limiting relationships among younger Americans

With fewer meaningful relationships, forming connections—especially in the context of dating—becomes more challenging. Younger people are increasingly turning to internet spaces, such as dating apps, to find potential partners. However, these platforms introduce a new set of social dynamics driven by profit-seeking companies in the “love industry,” which may be contributing to the decline in sexual activity among younger generations.

In 2021, KFF reported that nearly 40% of survey respondents in California aged 18 to 30 had not had sex in the past year. While these figures should be interpreted with caution—given that the pandemic likely impacted dating behaviors and people’s willingness to meet new individuals—they still highlight a significant trend. Experts at the foundation noted that increased time spent online by younger people may also contribute to this decline in sexual activity. Fewer in-person interactions limit the opportunities for both men and women to meet potential partners. Research by Daniel A. Cox, the director of the Survey Center on American Life backs up this theory.

Cox argues that time online “poor replacement for real world hangouts.” Virtual hangouts may keep teenagers from feeling lonely, but they limit their exposure to new people, not only sexual partners but also new friends, potential crushes, and love interests. For Cox, there are benefits for teenagers to begin exploring romantic relationships, regardless of whether they are sexual, as they can build confidence and teach important life lessons about what they should look for in a partner.

Even when including 2022 data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), rates of sexlessness remain higher compared to the previous decade. Between 2013 and 2015, approximately 4% of men aged 18 to 34 reported never having had sex. By 2022 and 2023, that figure had risen to 10%. For women, the increase was smaller, rising from 5% to 7% over the same period.

Additionally, when looking over the last year, the Institute for Family Studies foundation found that nearly a quarter of young men had not had sex, a figure that had doubled since the last survey was administered. For women, once again, the increase has been more subtle, rising from eight to 13%.

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