As a member of Generation X, I was surprised to read that my peers are apparently the "least industrious lovers" of the modern era. According to a recent story in the Times UK, a new study has found that Gen Xers sleep around less and have fewer partners overall than the previous and later generations. Here's more:
According to academic research on sexual habits, people born between 1965 and 1985 have significantly fewer sexual partners and are less likely to be unfaithful than those who came before and after them.
For the baby-boomer generation, sexual opportunity was opened up by the pill. Those born after 1985 are rediscovering sex as sport largely because of the Internet.
But, according to Edward Laumann, professor of sociology at the University of Chicago, the emergence of AIDS and the divorce boom gave Generation X insecure emotions and more restricted sex lives.
When I first saw the headline for this story, I immediately got defensive. But after reading the article, I think it makes total sense from a cultural standpoint, and Gen Xers' propensity toward faithfulness and safe sex certainly isn't anything to be ashamed of. But I've also never felt like I was surrounded by a bunch of "sexual slackers"; if anything, I feel like my peers have both frequent sex and good attitudes about sex.
How about any other Gen Xers out there? Does this story ring true to you?
Vivienne Westwood
Dries Van Noten
Korres
I'm born after 1985 and I agree with the article! My generation sucks majorly! No one wants to commit anymore and guys all want to hit it and quite it! Everyone I know has no problem with sleeping around with multiple partners and just move on. Its so gross! No wonder STDS are rampant! Ugh..I'm so embarssed to be part of generation of wh*res and players!
1I wont begrudge this at all. This is totally me.
2I'm a Gen Xer? Now that's news to me! Get off my lawn...
3yes jess, I was shocked too. I always thought I was in the next one... Y? (1983)
Also, this is funny, b/c I remember thinking all the freshman girls at my high school were skeezy. I guess it's just generational.
4Yeah, I didn't know I qualified as Gen X. I was born in 1985. This info really doesn't surprise me b/c of the presence of sex ed. programs and rise of AIDS.
Looks like I can't date any guy younger than me because he would be in that generation that "are rediscovering sex as sport".
5I guess I'm a gen x-er and I haven't had as many partners as a lot of people I have heard of but there's a bunch of things that factor into that and I agree that the divorce rate and the spread of AIDS and our exposure to it have planted some deep seeded fears about promiscuity in my mind
6Heyyy, who knew I was Gen-X?
Hmm, most of the people I grew up with (all 27-30 yo) are married, in a ltr, or have been married once already. A good portion also have kids and enjoy building a family life and strong relationships that their parents did not provide... I think most are from divorced households.
7I was born 1987 and I don't feel this way. I love my sexuality and usually have sex once if not twice a day and this is after a year of being offical
8My parents also have been together for 26 years, and I saw how much they love each other. I think that plays a big factor as well.
LOL! I'm happy to get my FREAKY-DEAKY on with my LTR. I mean you can get freaky with a stranger... but the deaky only happens after you get to know someone.
9Wooohoo for 1982
10thats right! we aint ho's!!!!!!
111981. Like this is supposed to be a big f*cking suprise? All through my adolescense, I was told you'll get pregnant/HIV/herpes/syphillis/no respect if you dare even crack your legs open an inch.
1289. My gen sucks lol.
13i guess im a gen xer because i was born in 82. I did notice the people that are a few years younger than me are into that f*ck buddy relationship.
14I had no idea I was a gen Xer...I was born in 1984. Regardless, I would have thought most people in my generation slept around quite a bit but I guess compared to people who grew up in the 60s...maybe not so much. Also, I think because we've always been told about safe sex and all the STDs out there, a lot of people have been careful about who they sleep with.
15ashcwebb- im 1987 too!
as to the topic: i wish ppl wouldnt generalize that much. i mean i know plenty of gen y ppl who arent into casual sex. if anything i've noticed that more ppl are interested in long term commitments rather than one night stands. maybe i'm just not moving in the right circles.. or are those the right ones?? lol
16I find this hard to believe by looking at all my peers surrounding me. But, then again, I guess the majority of the girls the guys sleep around with are younger than me, and I was born in '85.
17Although I don't like such generalizations, I do take offense at the word "slacker." Not sleeping around and being faithful having this label is not a good message to send. It really bothers me that sex has just become this thing that you do when you are bored, or at a party. I saw this type of behavior really start to take hold while in college and I just find it disrespectful.
18The data is just the data. Calling it healthy or lazy is just a matter of how you feel like looking at it. Personally, I would think fewer partners and more commitment is something to strive for. It doesn't mean less sex. Just sex with fewer people.
19i am serverly afraid of getting the HIV.
Heck, even if you're in a committed realationship and have been tested, how do you know the other person isn't steppin out on ya with some skank??
So it makes you VERY selective in sexual partners.
20I'm a Gen Xer and I have friends w/ HIV and Herpes. It scares me silly to think that having sex with someone means the equivalent of having sex w/all their past partners. Aaaah to have been born in the 60's when STD's just meant a shot of penicillin and I could have been a crazy ho.
21Ok so if I was born in '85 which I was, that makes me a Gen X? But still my husband was born in '86 and hes never cheated on me. And none of my friends that are my age or are around my age are promiscuous in fact almost all my friends either are virgins or waited until marriage to lose their virginity. So while it may be so that people of a certain genre or moral code are promiscuous nowadays, not everyone is.
22I'm Gen X?
23"Sex as sport" isn't really something I had considered, but I suppose since I'm supposed to be into faithlessness and casual sex, I'd better start now...
24I'm a Gen Xer and this description fits me to a T. I'm shy, slow to get sexually involved, VERY nervous about STD's and AIDS, and much more inclined to settle down and have the hot freaky-deaky sex with *one man*.
And LOL @ MartiniRossi!
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