Porn Isn’t The Reason Millennials Are Having Less Sex

Compared to generations past, millennials are having less sex. And the post-millennials—or iGen, as social psychologist Jean Twenge has dubbed them—are doing it even less. Much has been said and written about why, but one of the most frequently cited culprits in the popular media is porn, given that no previous generation has had so much unfettered access to pornography of all kinds. In other words, it’s widely believed that adolescents and young adults today are getting it on less often because they’re spending more time viewing online pornography. But is it true?

In my latest article over at TONIC, I review what the research says and it turns out that there’s actually no evidence to back this claim up. In fact, in a new study published earlier this year in the Archives of Sexual Behavior, researchers actually found evidence for the opposite conclusion: people who said they watched porn in the last year reported having had more—not less—sex!

If porn isn’t to blame, then what is? Well, the answer to that is complicated. When you’re trying to compare the sexual behaviors of people across multiple generations, it’s important to remember that the entire world around us keeps changing, which means it’s unlikely that you can point to just one thing and conclude that it’s the result of any differences observed in sexual attitudes or practices. In reality, there are probably multiple contributing factors.

Check out the full article over at TONIC for a closer look at what some of those factors are likely to be, including changes in marriage patterns, changes in medication usage, as well as changes in the way we socialize.

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Image Source: 123RF/Arak Rattanawijittakorn

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