Today I Learned: Sex Recession Is Real, and Gen Z Is Living It

Every generation has had its own version of a sex crisis. 

In the ‘40s and ‘50s, teens and young adults were hammered into conformity; rigid timelines on marriage, gender roles, and child-bearing were imposed. Those who fell outside the mold—single mothers, divorced parents, or couples facing infertility—were often viewed with pity, suspicion, or outright judgment.  

Come the ‘60s and ‘70s, the pendulum swung the other way in favor of sexual liberation and an exploration of all things pleasurable. They were the decades when Freddie Mercury, bra-burning, and the commercial availability of oral contraceptives were at peak grooviness. Absolute bodily freedom was law. 

By the time the ‘80s and ‘90s rolled in, the world was introduced to yet another component of sex: it was neither just unbridled pleasure nor taboo, but an integral part of health. Sexual problems were medical and social problems. Lessons on periods, STDs, and condoms made their way to classrooms and households. Dinnertime conversations between parents and kids glazed over sex, however many “ewws” were elicited. To know about sex was to be educated and protected. Talking about it meant taking care of yourself and your community. A defining image of these years’ discourse was Princess Diana shaking hands, sans gloves, with an AIDS/HIV-affected patient at a hospital.

Finally, Y2K and the 20-ish years that followed saw sex (or at least, depictions of it) become more accessible than ever, a movement aided by the meteoric rise of Internet use. Kids, teens, and adults started hanging out on discussion boards and in chatrooms. They braved through low-speed downloads and visited a handful of early-era porn sites, quickly clicking “X” on lewd (and loud) pop-up ads that betrayed their browsing activities. Millennials walked so that Gen Z could run, this time with social media and generative AI, all within the context of handheld privacy and ultra-instant gratification. 

There’s no doubt that societies have been freaking out about young people making terrible decisions since forever, making the subject of sex and youth an ever-present force in our lives. It’s just taken different forms over the years. As we approach the 2030s, sex researchers see a brand new trend taking hold. 

How current technology and mainstream discussions of sex have made it ridiculously easy for young folks to satisfy their sexual curiosity is not news. What’s interesting is that this environment appears to be leading them down a path few predicted. It seems that younger generations in the 14-to-29 age bracket, supposedly the peak years for sexual activity and exploration, aren’t getting it on the same way previous generations did (Twenge et al., 2016). If too much sex was once the concern, Gen Z now seems to be having so little of it that some researchers view it as a different kind of problem (South & Lei, 2021). It’s a relatively new phenomenon emerging as Gen Z moves from adolescence into adulthood.

Having little to no sex in adolescence and early adulthood has advantages. In the Philippines, fewer youth engaging in less sex has direct effects on lower rates of unplanned pregnancies and curbing the spread of STDs and STIs (Philippine Council for Health Research and Development, 2014). For girls and women, there is even more to celebrate when we factor in concerns of unsafe abortions, social stigma, and early pregnancy-related deaths. Fewer girls and young women having sex without proper education and preparation means fewer of those problems (Ahanhanzo et al., 2018). All of these unwanted consequences decrease the youth’s chances of staying in school, their biggest responsibility as children and teens, and of eventually finding gainful employment. From this perspective, Gen Z choosing to keep their clothes on is a win, as all Filipinos know how essential a diploma and a job are for survival in this country. 

Economic reasons aside, psychological research also shows that young people who wait until later in life to have sex are less likely to experience depressive symptoms and post-breakup distress. They are more emotionally mature when they finally decide to be intimate. More often than not, they’ve potentially already sorted out their preferences, boundaries, and definitions of safety before becoming physically and psychologically vulnerable with a sexual partner (Twenge et al., 2016). Saying “no” feels more natural. Evaluating the worthiness of a sexual partner becomes a habit. Decision-making is more practical and long-term, and less impulsive and emotionally driven, often resulting in less regret and exposure to unwanted or traumatizing sexual encounters. Self-discovery and understanding one’s needs become priorities without it feeling selfish (Blake, 2025; Karle et al., 2023; Symons et al., 2014). 

If less sex in their younger years means securing a brighter future, then there is no reason not to celebrate Gen Z being less sexually active. Right? 

Well, all stories have two sides.

Notice how research emphasizes that Gen Z holding out on sex is a good thing when it is had later in life. There is a difference between delaying sexual activities and not having sex at all. Science asserts that there are disadvantages to abstinence. 

One major con is increasing levels of isolation and loneliness seen in this generation. In being physically separate from peers, especially romantic partners, Gen Z misses out on crucial socialization lessons. A hard pill to swallow is that the screen has become Gen Z’s all-around companion, a problem that older generations have never dealt with. Many kids and young adults have swapped living, breathing boyfriends and girlfriends for online intimacy, and while it seems harmless at first, this only ends up reinforcing feelings of detachment (Kalcza-Janosi et al., 2025; Ueda et al., 2020). 

A good example of this is when people, often young men but not always, move into a life stage where being exclusively partnered is expected, but remain sexually inexperienced. Having never been intimate, these individuals fail to learn lessons on what having a real partner is like; they may have issues navigating consent, rejection, interpreting non-verbal communication cues, and healthy attachment. In some cases, they may even harbor unrealistic expectations of sex and relationships, making it difficult for them to settle into long-term arrangements and feel satisfied within them (Sparks et al., 2022; Rodriguez et al., 2025). The more incapable these kinds of individuals become at handling intimacy as they age, the less likely they will be chosen by potential partners, further trapping them in the isolation and loneliness loop. Real sexual intimacy, not the digital kind, can help develop nuanced social skills needed to exist harmoniously with others in the 21st century. 

Related to this are the increasing cases of young people being diagnosed with anxiety and mood-related mental health disorders. There are many possible causes of the rise of these psychological problems, but one research perspective is that lessened sexual intimacy takes away a natural mechanism for mood stabilization (Ueda et al., 2020). Biology dictates that sexual activity gives human beings a natural stress buffer; it has proven effects on hormonal regulation, which directly affects sleep quality, emotional resilience, and overall life satisfaction (Kim, 2025; Banerjee et al., 2025; Vasconcelos et al., 2024). Sex makes people healthier in the long run, even positively affecting concentration, memory formation, and cardiovascular health (Gianotten et al., 2021; Liu et al., 2016). 

Considering that older Gen Zers (i.e., college grads and the working class) largely make up the demographic most prone to feeling completely overwhelmed by stress, having little to no sex exacerbates the issue (Medaris, 2023). It’s a difficult cycle to break; no sex means a lower level of hormones circulating in the body needed for stress recovery, but also feeling unrecovered from stress means lower libido (Mües et al., 2025). Science suggests that acknowledging how sex brings us happiness shouldn’t be seen as bastos, but as a very real way to help us live better lives. 

All in all, you can hypothesize that Gen Z is certainly doing something right by being more discerning about when and with whom they become intimate. After all, a lack of sexual discretion is harmful, regardless of what generation you come from. However, if this turns into a lack of interest in sex, too much of a good thing can become bad, too.

Explanations behind Gen Z’s disinterest in sex make up a complex web researchers are just starting to unravel. 

First and foremost, Gen Zs are apparently in the midst of a sex recession. The economy is terrible, so their sex lives are, too. Young people who are college-aged or have graduated are finding it more challenging to land full-time or well-paying jobs, which makes it significantly harder to live independently in their own private spaces. Many might still need to live with mom and dad, a factor that greatly decreases opportunities for regular sexual activity. The adulting delay is much more real for Gen Zs than it was for millennials (Twenge, 2020). 

Then there’s also the finding on lowered alcohol consumption. Drinking is highly correlated with attending parties, going out to clubs and bars, and therefore meeting all kinds of people, which could lead to sexual encounters. Kids today aren’t as interested in getting wasted as their older counterparts once were. While it’s a great thing that the youth appear to be more conscious of drinking reasonably, they supplement this behavior with a preference for hanging out by themselves, likely at home, online. There is evidence showing they would rather be on their devices than with actual people, making sexual intimacy practically impossible (South & Lei, 2021). 

Other research shows that the Gen Z relationship hierarchy and definitions of sex terminology have made having sex more complicated (Gecker & The Associated Press, 2023).  In a more conservative time, the only consideration for sex or no sex was married versus not married. Today, there are all sorts of things to weigh: Does someone only want to have sex within a committed one-on-one relationship? Are they sexually involved non-monogamously, or are they in a situationship? What if one partner defines sex as exclusively penetrative, but the other only considers oral and manual sex part of their definition? When one partner is pansexual, but the other is hetero, what then? With so many things to think about, some young people may choose to stay away from sex altogether to avoid the confusion and potential consequences of hurting or getting hurt by others.

And yes, there’s the issue of porn, and consuming way too much of it. It’s important to remember that Gen Z grew up online and were the first generation to do so. Many of their milestones were tied to some kind of discovery made on the Internet, including sexual awakenings. Access to porn at a young age can skew what healthy sexual intimacy looks like. In some cases, the youth can end up fearing sex because they do not live up to what they watch; their bodies look different from what explicit material shows, their preferences do not align with what porn suggests is arousing, and there are also worries that their performance will not meet partner expectations. Instead of enjoying sex as a mutual experience governed by respect and care, it becomes tied to anxiety and disillusionment (Adarsh & Sahoo, 2023). 

And lest we forget, Gen Z was at a crucial developmental stage when they lived through the COVID-19 pandemic. Forced and prolonged contact-less existence with people outside of their homes has had stunting effects on Gen Z’s ability to socialize in age-appropriate ways (Gecker & The Associated Press, 2023). It’s entirely possible that many of them never quite grew out of digital interactions; they get nervous when required to be with peers in-person and struggle with basic interactions, let alone courtship and dating. When even ordinary conversations are daunting, how much more uncomfortable can sex become?

Is Gen Z supposed to fix this? Is anyone?

Science doesn’t have a full set of recommendations yet, at least when viewed from a wider all-of-civilization-will-crumble-if-this-isn’t-solved perspective. But when seeing this as a problem of an individual, on a case-by-case basis, then there are things we can do to deal with it.

Perhaps the most pressing matter is managing stress levels among Gen Zers. Understanding how to support them as students, employees, friends, and family members isn’t inherently sexual, but it can help them regain the energy to explore the very normal, very human function of sexual intimacy. Be present. Ask how they are doing. Listen to them. If they’re open to it, encourage them to seek professional mental health support so they can get out of their own heads. This won’t just improve their sex lives but also their overall well-being. 

Teaching younger Gen Zs, today’s tweens and teens, digital hygiene is another idea. Excessive screen time takes away interest in seeing friends in person, which is a building block for wanting to date, fall in love, and become intimate with a consenting partner later in life. Parents are in charge of this; set rules for gadget use, organize play dates, explore after-school clubs, and encourage interests that build self-confidence, self-esteem, and self-efficacy. And also, why not hang out as a family, too? Model the importance of social interactions, without phones in hand, within our own homes. Make these experiences something kids look forward to. 

And of course, there’s the age-old suggestion of widening sex ed’s focus from just biology to modern concepts that define sex as Gen Z understands it today. Maybe a reason Gen Z struggles with intimacy is that our systems haven’t caught up with the world they live in and are now inadequate. They’ve been left to figure it out on their own, and many mistakes can be made along the way. It might be about time to legitimize discussions on complex topics of gender, consent, bodily autonomy and agency, virginity, protected sex, and online sex safety, to say the least. Ignoring the reality that Gen Z is exposed to these things on a daily basis is naive. Not talking about it is not going to make the issue go away. Preventing a problem is always better than solving it. 

At the end of the day, sex might not actually be the enemy, especially when there’s not enough of it being had. What likely needs to change are our approaches toward it. Better access to age-appropriate, science-backed, and non-judgmental materials and spaces that allow Gen Z to learn about sex and ask questions might be what helps them shed inaccurate views of relationships and intimacy. Many at-risk endangered species have been brought back to safety multiple times in the past. We can totally help Gen Z steer clear of a total sextinction.

References: 

Adarsh, H., & Sahoo, S. (2023). Pornography and its impact on adolescent/teenage sexuality. Journal of Psychosexual Health, 5(1), 35–39. https://doi.org/10.1177/26318318231153984

Ahanhanzo, Y. G., Sossa-Jérôme, C., Sopoh, G., Tchandana, M., Azandjèmè, C., & Tchamdja, T. (2018). Factors associated with early sexual intercourse among teenagers and young adults in rural south of Benin. Journal of Public Health in Africa, 9(2), 681. https://doi.org/10.4081/jphia.2018.681rn. 

Banerjee, S., Anderson, P., & Davis, W. S. (2024). Connection between depression, sexual frequency, and all-cause mortality: Findings from a nationally representative study. Journal of Psychosexual Health, 6(1), 35–44. https://doi.org/10.1177/26318318241256455 ‌

Blake, S. (2025, November 14). Nearly half of Gen Z adults have never had Sex—Report. Newsweek. https://www.newsweek.com/nearly-half-of-gen-z-adults-have-never-had-sexreport-11052178

Gecker, J. & The Associated Press. From “sneaky links” to “situationships,” here’s how Gen Z is redefining sex. (2023, May 12.). Fortune. https://fortune.com/well/2023/05/12/are-teenagers-having-sex-cdc-gen-z-situationships-sneaky-links/ ‌

Gianotten, W. L., Alley, J. C., & Diamond, L. M. (2021). The health benefits of sexual expression. International Journal of Sexual Health, 33(4), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/19317611.2021.1966564 ‌

Kalcza-Janosi, K., Sulyok, K., Kotta, I., Marschalko, E. E., & Bibok, B. (2025). The role of self-rated sexual functioning in general life satisfaction of generation X, Y, Z. Does pornography use matter? Journal of Educational Sciences & Psychology, 15 (76)(2), 233–247. https://doi.org/10.51865/jesp.2025.1.20 ‌

Karle, A., Agardh, A., Larsson, M., & Arunda, M. O. (2023). Risky sexual behavior and self-rated mental health among young adults in Skåne, Sweden – a cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health, 23(1), 9. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-14823-0

Kim, K. H. (2025). Sex for health? How sexual activity improves physical and mental health and beyond. Sexual and Relationship Therapy, 1–43. https://doi.org/10.1080/14681994.2025.2491050 ‌

Liu, H., Waite, L. J., Shen, S., & Wang, D. H. (2016). Is sex good for your health? A national study on partnered sexuality and cardiovascular risk among older men and women. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 57(3), 276–296. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022146516661597 ‌

Medaris, A. (2023, November 1). Gen Z adults and younger millennials are “completely overwhelmed” by stress. American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/topics/stress/generation-z-millennials-young-adults-worries ‌

Mües, H. M., Markert, C., Feneberg, A. C., & Nater, U. M. (2025). Too stressed for sex? Associations between stress and sex in daily life. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 181, 107583. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2025.107583 ‌ 

Philippine Council for Health Research and Development. (2014, February 24). More Pinoy youth engage in risky sexual activities, survey confirms | Philippine Council for Health Research and Development. Dost.gov.ph. https://www.pchrd.dost.gov.ph/news_and_updates/more-pinoy-youth-engage-in-risky-sexual-activities-survey-confirms/

Rodríguez, R., Maldonado, M. A., & Moyano, M. (2025). Deciphering the incels: A scoping review on empirical research. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 102093. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avb.2025.102093

South, S. J., & Lei, L. (2021). Why are fewer young adults having casual sex? Socius: Sociological Research for a Dynamic World, 7, 237802312199685. https://doi.org/10.1177/2378023121996854 ‌

Sparks, B., Zidenberg, A. M., & Olver, M. E. (2022). Involuntary celibacy: A review of incel ideology and experiences with dating, rejection, and associated mental health and emotional sequelae. Current Psychiatry Reports, 24(12), 731–740. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-022-01382-9 ‌

Symons, K., Vermeersch, H., & Van Houtte, M. (2014). The emotional experiences of early first intercourse. Journal of Adolescent Research, 29(4), 533–560. https://doi.org/10.1177/0743558414528976

Twenge, J. M. (2020). Possible Reasons US Adults Are Not Having Sex as Much as They Used To. JAMA Network Open, 3(6), e203889. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.3889 ‌

Twenge, J. M., Sherman, R. A., & Wells, B. E. (2016). Sexual inactivity during young adulthood is more common among U.S. millennials and iGen: Age, period, and cohort effects on having no sexual partners after age 18. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 46(2), 433–440. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-016-0798-z

Ueda, P., Mercer, C. H., Ghaznavi, C., & Herbenick, D. (2020). Trends in Frequency of Sexual Activity and Number of Sexual Partners Among Adults Aged 18 to 44 Years in the US, 2000-2018. JAMA Network Open, 3(6), e203833. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.3833

Vasconcelos, P., Carrito, M. L., Quinta-Gomes, A. L., Patrão, A. L., Nóbrega, C. A., Costa, P. A., & Nobre, P. J. (2024). Associations between sexual health and well-being: a systematic review. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 102(12), 873–887D. https://doi.org/10.2471/blt.24.291565 ‌

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