Teenagers today are having significantly less sex compared to past generations. Despite having  more open attitudes towards intimacy, pleasure and consent, Gen Z is failing to connect. In a growing collection of research, young people report having sex less frequently, with fewer partners and even masturbating less. These trends are a result of phone dependency, social media, video games, identity issues and premature exposure to porn. A study from the National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior showed that over a ten year period, the number of adolescent women reporting no sexual activity rose from 50 percent to 74 percent. Another study found that from 2011 to 2021 the proportion of young adults who reported having two or more sexual partners declined from 23 percent to 10 percent. 

Lizz Randall, a certified sex and intimacy coach, noticed the impact of screen dependency showing up in her practice. “I have observed that people go to their phones first before connection and I do believe that has impacted intimacy,” Randall said. “There is so much access for false connection or intense stimulation via the phone and social media. I think it ends up taking the place of real life relationships.” Nobody is more susceptible to the dopamine rush that false digital connection offers than teenagers. When examined alongside the already tumultuous years of adolescence it’s no wonder that many teens today are choosing to stay within the confines of this digital world rather than reach out for the vulnerable and possibly painful unknown of real-life connection.

Another factor in the declining trend is that teens today are exhibiting much less curiosity surrounding sex. The cause of this dwindling desire for exploration is porn. More than ever before, kids are being exposed to pornographic content at younger ages, leading them to believe that they understand what sex will be like before they ever try it. “The impact that porn has is really harmful,”  Randall said. This exposure has demystified sex, but not in a good way because it has robbed youth of the chance to learn and experience for themselves. Not only does it take away the mystery of intimacy, it sets people up for disappointment by perpetuating extremely unrealistic expectations. “It depicts a very false picture of what sex is, that’s usually fast and hard and quick. And that isn’t really the way human bodies work,” Randall explained. 

To some people a reduction in teen sex may sound like a good thing. However, to those who see intimate connection, including but not limited to sex, as a pillar of our health, happiness and humanity, this decline is one indicator of a larger issue. The deep relationships that we rely on as humans may be threatened and this could have a direct impact on our happiness as a society and species. Randall concluded that intimacy matters because it is “regenerative and supportive to our being,” and that in the best world, connection should allow us to “show up more hopefully for each other on the planet.”