A growing body of research documents increasing rates of sexlessness among younger Americans, with roughly one in three men and one in five women aged 18-29 reporting they have not had sex in the past year, according to survey data from the General Social Survey and other researchers.

The trend, dubbed the "sex recession" by some researchers, appears driven by a confluence of factors including social media usage, dating apps, cultural shifts following #MeToo, and the rise of digital alternatives such as AI companions and platforms like OnlyFans. Researchers note that younger generations who grew up immersed in technology may be particularly susceptible to these influences.

What the Right Is Saying

Conservatives and family values advocates express concern about the trend, arguing that declining sexual activity among young people represents a cultural dysfunction with serious implications for social cohesion and family formation. They point to the role of technology, including dating apps and social media, in creating unhealthy expectations and substituting digital connections for real ones.

Conservative commentators argue that the overprescription of antidepressants to young people warrants scrutiny. "We are medicating a generation and don't fully understand the long-term effects on their development," said one conservative family policy advocate. "The fact that SSRIs are being prescribed to children as young as 6 with little longitudinal data on sexual development impacts is deeply troubling."

Social conservatives also argue that the birth control pill's effects on women's sexual development and mating psychology deserve more research attention. "We know the pill affects hormone regulation, but we don't fully understand how starting it in adolescence affects long-term romantic relationships," noted one conservative researcher. "This deserves serious study, not dismissal."

What the Left Is Saying

Progressive analysts and mental health advocates argue that the discussion around declining sexual activity must be framed within the context of young people's genuine struggles with mental health. They note that more than a third of Gen Z report taking prescription medication for a mental health condition, and emphasize that seeking treatment for anxiety and depression should be encouraged rather than criticized.

Progressives contend that post-#MeToo cultural shifts represent a healthy recalibration where young people are taking time to understand consent and boundaries. "Young people are being more deliberate about relationships, and that's not necessarily a bad thing," said one progressive family values researcher. "The idea that declining sex is automatically a problem reflects an outdated worldview."

Additionally, left-leaning commentators argue that economic pressures facing Gen Z—including student debt, housing costs, and job insecurity—contribute significantly to the trend. "You can't separate dating decline from the fact that young people are经济压力太大,无法负担传统的约会模式," noted one progressive economic analyst. "When you can't afford to go out, when you're living with your parents, when you're worried about the future, intimacy takes a back seat."

What the Numbers Show

Survey data from multiple sources indicate significant declines in sexual activity. The General Social Survey shows the percentage of never-married young adults reporting no sex in the past year has increased substantially since the early 2000s. Roughly one in three men and one in five women aged 18-29 now report sexlessness, compared to lower rates in previous decades.

More than one-third of Gen Z respondents (36%) report taking prescription medication for a mental health condition, according to polling data. Approximately 4% of children and adolescents aged 3-17 in the United States take SSRIs, with these medications now approved for children as young as 6.

In the U.S., more than one in ten females aged 15-49 are currently taking birth control pills, with many beginning use in their teenage years for non-contraceptive reasons such as menstrual regulation. Research has linked oral contraceptive use to increased rates of depression, particularly among adolescent users.

The rise of digital alternatives is also measurable. The AI companion app Replika saw significant user growth, and platforms like OnlyFans have generated billions in revenue, indicating substantial market demand for digital intimacy substitutes.

The Bottom Line

The declining sexual activity among Gen Z represents a complex phenomenon with multiple contributing factors that researchers are still working to understand. Mental health treatment rates, technological alternatives, economic pressures, and cultural shifts all appear to play roles.

Experts on both sides of the political spectrum agree that more research is needed, particularly on the long-term effects of antidepressant use during adolescence and the impact of hormonal birth control on brain development. The interplay between these biological factors and social or technological ones remains an emerging area of study.

What to watch: whether this trend continues, how it affects marriage and family formation rates in the coming decade, and whether researchers can isolate individual contributing factors. Both progressive and conservative analysts emphasize that young people's wellbeing should remain the priority as society adapts to these shifting patterns.