Why the world stopped having sex
Reports that young adults in countries like France, Britain, Japan and Korea are having less sex have prompted wide-ranging debate over what’s driving the change and whether it should be seen as a crisis. Commenters point to technology (smartphones, streaming, porn, dating apps), shifting social norms, mental health and anxiety, medications and endocrine disruptors, economic pressure, and changing gender dynamics as overlapping factors that may be reducing both libido and opportunities for in‑person intimacy. Some see this as a worrying sign for fertility and social cohesion, while others welcome less casual sex or argue that the trend is too complex and unevenly distributed—e.g., among straight vs. gay men—to pin on any single cause.
Measurement and reported decline
- Some argue people are simply more honest about not having sex now; lower stigma may reduce past overreporting.
- Others doubt that today’s young adults are less willing to share intimate details than earlier cohorts.
- A cited stat that 28% of 18–24-year-olds have never had sex (vs 5% in 2006) is seen by some as alarming, by others as hard to believe.
Technology, screens, and social interaction
- Many see screens (smartphones, streaming, social media, games) as displacing in‑person socializing, dates, and small talk, raising the “activation energy” for relationships and sex.
- Some think tech overall has been detrimental socially (addiction, attention loss, isolation), while others argue tech is a net boon (health, connectivity), with “screentime” only one tradeoff.
- A few note that people used to go to bed earlier and had fewer entertainment options, so hanging out and sex were more likely by default.
Dating dynamics, inequality, and anxiety
- Dating apps are blamed for concentrating sexual activity among a minority of attractive/high‑status people while many get none, contributing to high STDs despite overall less sex.
- Approaching people in real life is described as riskier socially (“creepy” stigma), pushing more interaction into apps.
- Rising anxiety, especially among youth (also visible in things like declining interest in driving), is seen as reducing face‑to‑face encounters and thus sex.
Biology, health, and environment
- Multiple commenters point to antidepressants, obesity, endocrine disruptors (plastics, chemicals), microplastics, low testosterone, and widespread prescription drug use as possible libido dampeners.
- Others note that gay/bi men do not show the same decline in sexual activity, which they argue weakens purely biological or environmental explanations.
- Anecdotes appear on both sides: some report antidepressants or testosterone therapy improving sex lives; others worry about side effects and long‑term unknowns.
Cultural norms, economics, and values
- Economic pressure, high cost of children, and women’s greater financial independence reduce incentives for marriage and child‑oriented sex.
- Some welcome less casual sex on moral or religious grounds.
- Others mention changing norms (less alcohol, more conservative subcultures, negative portrayals of childbirth and family life) as additional contributing factors.