The Great Sex Recession: Has Gen Z forgotten how to date?

We’re told that the Great Sex Recession is upon us. While 78 per cent of millennials said one-night stands were common among their friends in 2004, only 23 per cent of Gen Z said the same two decades later.

The causes for the decline in sex, and dating, have divided commentators. Many point the finger at dating apps and smartphones, as endless swiping has prioritised choice over commitment, and distracted from the messy real-life interactions that define romantic stories. Others look at wider cultural trends – as young people are increasingly risk-averse, socially awkward, drinking less and having less ‘fun’.

While previous concerns saw dating apps as tools which commodified intimacy, encouraging endless swiping instead of meaningful commitment, young people are moving away from dating apps, but not coupling up more. So can the rise of speed dating, rediscovery of shared social spaces and hobbies re-inspire romance?

The decline in real-life social interaction between young men and women has also fuelled the trend. Polling suggests that Gen Z men and women are increasingly polarised. Only 35 per cent of young women have a positive view of men, while 59 per cent of Gen Z men say that men are expected to do too much to support equality. Is this surprising when young people have grown up amid relentless warnings about stranger danger, consent, teenage pregnancy, toxic relationships and the fight against the patriarchy? This has made some young men feel unjustly labelled as inherent threats, and young women scared of masculinity. Is there a fundamental divide stopping young men and women coupling up? Or have we just raised a generation too anxious to pursue relationships?

Others point to the increased competitiveness of men and women in education and the workplace, as women have started to overtake men in university and early careers, leaving some young men feeling threatened. There is also the possibility that the prioritisation of climbing the career ladder over all else is taking time away from dinner dates. The decline in dating has coincided with growing concern about youth loneliness, raising the question, if young people are spending less time in relationships, but are also more alone, have they truly been liberated from outdated expectations and ties, or did we underestimate the value of stability and romance?

So why, when there is more choice and a culture of open communication, is coupling up proving so difficult? Do we need to bring back the social spaces where romance can exist, or has the culture of romance fundamentally changed? How should we re-value relationships within a culture of increased individualism? Can young men and women re-discover the art of dating?