Sex is becoming rarer for young Americans

The reasons for this downturn are complicated, researchers said.

“First, adolescents and young adults are taking longer to grow to adulthood. This includes the postponement of not just sexual activity but also other activities related to mating and reproduction, including dating, living with a partner, pregnancy and birth,” explained Jean M. Twenge, report author and professor of psychology at San Diego State University said in a statement.

These reproductive trends are “part of a broader cultural trend toward delayed development,” Twenge said, and had not occurred in isolation.

“It is more difficult to date and engage in sexual activity when not economically independent of one’s parents,” Twenge wrote.

However, researchers were also quick to point out that the trend of “growing up slowly” did not explain why sexual activity had decreased among older and married adults, noting that “the growth of the internet and digital media” could be affecting sex lives.

“Put simply, there are now many more choices of things to do in the late evening than there once were and fewer opportunities to initiate sexual activity if both partners are engrossed in social media, electronic gaming or binge-watching,” Twenge added.

While social media and internet sites should in theory make it easier for Americans to find sexual partners, the use of mobile technology could interfere with the satisfaction garnered from in-person interaction, the report’s authors said.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, however, it might be harder than usual for couples to act on their impulses, with stay-at-home orders and other social distancing measures still in place in many countries around the world.