Is Youth Really Less Interested in Sex? Here's What the Playboy Study Showed

Playboy magazine, together with the reproductive health service Julie and the Kinsey Institute, conducted a study on the intimate lives of Gen Z. They surveyed 2,373 US residents aged 18 to 29. The main question: is Generation Z really not interested in sex?

A fifth of respondents have never had sex, while another fifth have had 10 or more partners.

But young people kiss a lot: almost daily for 48.5%. However, 40% have not had vaginal sex in the last three months. Low activity also applies to masturbation: 36% have not engaged in it in the last three months.

Nevertheless, young people do have sexual desire. So what's hindering it?

One reason is a lack of opportunities to meet people. 66.5% of respondents feel they lack opportunities to meet a partner in person. Many are also tired of dating apps.

60% are afraid of rejection. One respondent says that almost all his acquaintances suffer from social anxiety, and it's difficult to meet people if you're afraid to even talk to someone.

Another important reason is money. 43% say financial problems make dating or maintaining relationships difficult. 39% look for relationships less often due to money. Another 39% note that the cost of dates limits their opportunities for romance and sex.

Perhaps the most striking factor is living with parents. A third of respondents live with their parents, and of those, 64% have not had sex in the last three months. For comparison: among those who live with roommates in an apartment, this figure is 38%, and among those who live alone, it's 27%.

A quarter say their parents still set strict rules for them and control what they can do.

Not all partners are willing to date someone who lives with their parents. One respondent recounts how a guy decided she had a "curfew."

64% of singles say they are currently prioritizing other areas of adult life: studying, working, paying off loans. Sex and dating are postponed for later.

34% of young people say that porn completely satisfies their sexual desires.

For them, it's simpler, more accessible, and requires less emotion than real relationships. One 28-year-old respondent, who moved back in with his parents during the pandemic and hasn't had sex since, says that porn has largely replaced his intimate life.

However, the majority of young people in relationships are satisfied with their intimate lives. The study's authors conclude that "little sex" is linked to a lack of opportunities, not desire.

• 1
• 0
• 4
• 9
• 1
• 5
• 0
• 0