• Stovetop@lemmy.world
    1241·
    7 months ago

    2008 was the beginning of the recession, and in many ways things never really recovered. Cost of college never went down. Housing remains unattainable for most young people. And the job market is becoming more exploitative than ever.

    Financial uncertainty creates anxiety. People with too much anxiety don’t have the time or energy for relationships and family. As it happens, countries where this is felt even more, like Korea and Japan, have it far worse.

    • Stovetop@lemmy.world
      42·
      7 months ago

      Meaningful if you’re looking for predictors on birth rates, I suppose. Usually I see studies like this used to explain why populations start to decline.

    • VirtualOdour@sh.itjust.works
      7·
      7 months ago

      Not every study has to be about everything, there’s plenty of interesting things this tells us.

      Lots of follow up studies too, are gen z women the same or do they all go for older guys or the same guy? Is this trend tied with sexual identity, how do men feel about it, do porn habits correlate, how does it split demographically and economically…

      Doing a study on all these factors would be huge and expensive, getting a good data point to inform future study design is a vital step.

      But yeah look up the paper I bet they asked more than one question and have a methodology based on sound principles trying to increase understanding of a complex subject.

    • berkeleyblue@lemmy.world
      4·
      7 months ago

      It’s interesting, but that stat doesn’t really tell us everything. It only looks at guys who haven’t been with any women since they turned eighteen. A lot has changed since 2008, especially with more same-sex couples being open and accepted. That detail alone could throw off those numbers. Plus, with all the tech and social changes, who’s to say people’s sex lives haven’t shifted in other ways too?

  • nifty@lemmy.world
    5910·
    7 months ago

    That’s when social media started earnestly taking a foothold. I am guessing maybe this has to do with depressed females (there are studies which indicate social media use affects females more and also depresses them). Depressed females likely have different preferences and standards than those who are not, perhaps. If you don’t like yourself, you’re unlikely to pursue and welcome relationships.

    Alternatively, that was the time of the Great Recession. Perhaps some young adults in general are too economically stressed to do normal activities?

    • voxel
      3812·
      7 months ago

      ugh i hate the word “females”. why not just say “women”

    • EldritchFeminity@lemmy.blahaj.zone
      181·
      7 months ago

      Also, social media is a major contributor to the isolation epidemic going on, as is the economic situation and the work culture of countries like the US.

      So what I’m saying is, you’re probably right on all accounts.

      I saw a great video once that went into how the economic situation is largely responsible for the cultural shift from “adult” as a thing you are to “adulting” - a thing you do. That from Millenials onwards, generations don’t feel economically secure enough to partake in traditional cultural norms of middle-class adulthood. Things like buying a house and popping out 2.5 kids.

    • Kit@lemmy.blahaj.zone
      83·
      7 months ago

      I’m trying to understand your post. Do you mean that the number of young men who are virgins has risen because women are depressed, thus implying that all of these young men are involuntarily celebite?

      • nifty@lemmy.world
        123·
        7 months ago

        Not all, it’s hard to say

        Note that I am not “blaming” women for the lack of sex these men are getting. I am saying that if you’re comparing yourself to the best female in your group and her outcomes, then you’re constantly going to feel like you’re not doing good enough for yourself. You’re going to get depressed, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re not coupling. But you’re restricting yourself and constraining your choices.

        It’s an untested hypothesis, but here’s some prelim evidence: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2020/08/20/key-takeaways-on-americans-views-of-and-experiences-with-dating-and-relationships/

        More women say dating is emotionally and physically risky now. What’s changed necessarily? I don’t know, I think it’s the hyper awareness induced by social media and also the increased economic pressures.

        • Siegfried@lemmy.world
          34·
          7 months ago

          My hypothesis is that mankind unconciously sorted out that earth its not gonna hold much longer with the size of our population and decided to apply the sex breaks.

          Whatever the cause is, it’s good to know that our best scientists are doing their best to make a better world both developing AIs and robots. Sex robots are on the next corner. And luckly, microplastics are making us dumber, so we will have a higher and faster acceptance of them too.

  • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
    214·
    7 months ago

    men under 30 who report zero female sex partners since turning 18

    Okay, but what about male partners?

    Also, can we clarify whether we’re defining “sex” as “sexual contact” versus “penial vaginal intercourse”? Because I think ex-President Clinton is still a virgin under the second definition.

  • Evil_Shrubbery@lemm.ee
    141·
    7 months ago

    I mean, I guess millennials were right in the middle period between having a healthy sex life prior to 18 and then various life clusterfucks hit the generation. I can only assume ppl gave up, secluded, moisturised, in their lane, flourishing in their shituation as best they can.

  • MSugarhill@feddit.de
    12·
    7 months ago

    How would that make them virgins? They could e8tger be gay, 9r have had sex before being 18.