Gen Z spent a major period of its adolescence hidden away in quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, it’s competing against more people for fewer jobs in the worst job market since The Great Depression, ultimately resulting in an overwhelming mental health epidemic. With all this to carry, something has to give — and that something just might be sex.
Recent studies have suggested a nationwide sex recession, and the Institute for Family Studies found that Gen Z in particular is having less partnered sex than ever before. Between 1990 and 2024, weekly sexual activity between adults fell from 55% to 37%. Sex therapists and researchers attribute the shift to several factors, including the rise of technology, mental illness and converging societal expectations.
Are computers replacing connection?
Meet-cutes are increasingly being replaced by dating apps. Take five minutes to share a few pictures and a brief biography to Tinder, and you’ll have several potential matches within seconds.
Nina D’Ambrosio, a first-year student at the University of Miami, is one of 30 million annual users on Hinge, ranked the third most downloaded dating app globally. Still, she admits dating apps’ effect on her generation’s intimacy has been “astronomically bad.”
“Dating apps make it way too easy for toxic hook-up culture and give people a dopamine or sex addiction. Within minutes, you could find someone to get with,” said D’Ambrosio. “Apps like Tinder use the addicting brain chemistry of social media and ‘swiping’ and the number of matches to trap you in this cycle of always wanting or looking for more, or just constantly being on the hunt.”
Dr. Carol Clark, a board certified sex therapist who has practiced in Miami since 1990, said the convenience of dating apps can make digital intimacy feel “safer, both physically and emotionally” — at least initially.
“People don’t get to know each other the same way as meeting in person,” said Clark. “They think they know someone and then have unrealistic expectations about sex and being in a relationship.”
Researchers have also noted an increase in digitally-driven solo forms of sexual expression through consuming pornography and AI-driven relationships.
Digital sexuality is nothing new; researchers have found pornography to be increasingly detrimental to physiological development. While research has deemed pornography harmful to sexual relationships by perpetuating sexual illiteracy, encouraging unrealistic expectations and normalizing physical abuse, the addition of artificial intelligence threatens to eliminate partnered intimacy entirely.
“[Solo sexual expression] is becoming more and more common as the porn, sexting, AI romances and virtual relationships get more accessible,” said Sofie Roos, a licensed sexologist and author at Passionerad, currently based in Sweden. “For someone born into the digital age, loving online often feels safer.”
Mental health’s role
Roos went on to explain the close connection between desire and mental health. Anxiety can make it more difficult to relax into intimacy, depression can decrease libido and emotional burnout may teach the body to prioritize recovery over physical connection.
Often named the “unhappiest generation,” Gen Z reports higher rates of depression and anxiety than its preceding generations. The COVID-19 pandemic is partially to blame, but others suggest contributing factors include social media, societal pressures and political circumstances.
“We have the most access to information that any generation has had before, and genuinely there’s a lot of depressing information online, and it gets distorted and amplified,” said Sophie Hartog, a UM sophomore. “Ignorance is bliss. The environment is going downhill, and there’s so many external pressures that have been here for a while. I’m wondering if [these pressures] might be having an impact now.”
Mental illness suffers enough stigmatization as is, but when those affected are finally able to seek care, medications often offer little assistance to those suffering from lack of libido. Most Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) — one of the most commonly prescribed classes of antidepressants — cause sexual dysfunction in more than 60-70% of users. Increased serotonin often decreases dopamine and testosterone levels, leading to lowered arousal, delayed orgasm and genital numbness.
Societal standards
Several environmental pieces contribute to why Gen Z is less likely to engage in partnered sex. First and foremost, the state of the economy makes privacy less attainable and the risks of sex less viable. Approximately half of Gen Z reports they still live with their parents due to inflation, high housing costs and a tight labor market. Add in decreasing reproductive rights in certain states, and the consequences of an unwanted pregnancy can become catastrophic.
Moreover, many believe dating culture has taken a turn for the worse, with an October 2025 Vogue article suggesting having a boyfriend is “embarrassing.”
“I think there are definitely three types of people: those looking for serious relationships, those not and those who are conflicted,” said Niki Kawa, a UM first-year student. “It is definitely hard to find people who mean it when they say they are looking for a serious relationship…many either don’t want to emotionally invest or do so too quickly, leading to a lot of hurt and less trust in future relationships.”
Other UM students, such as sophomore Georgia Kerr, suggest sex and dating altogether is simply “something that not a lot of people are focused on.” College-aged young adults seem to be prioritizing platonic socialization and career aspirations, leaving little time in their schedules and mental room for partnered sex.
Why does it matter?
Roos concludes that the phenomenon is likely both a temporary response to modern pressures and the signifier of a lasting generational change.
“Some of it can be tied to today’s stress, digitalization and post-COVID climate,” said Roos, “but the increased awareness around physical health, consent and identity could surely make this a change that’s here to stay.”
Research suggests many of the same forces reshaping young adults’ social lives — including increased time spent online, heightened mental health concerns and a changing societal environment — are also changing how and when relationships develop.
The so-called “loneliness epidemic” might rise, the shyness toward this milestone could coincide with a slower transition toward independent adulthood, reliance on digital intimacy is already becoming more and more apparent and birth rates are declining both throughout the U.S. and globally.
But students and researchers alike believe the shift can — and already has — lead to good as well. Intimacy is becoming less about sex and more about connection, and the conversation surrounding sex is changing.
Whereas sex was historically seen as a taboo topic, a newfound openness has led to an amplified emphasis on consent, a better understanding of mutual pleasure and a wider knowledge of safe sex practice.
“People used to jump into relationships for fear of being alone or rushing into marriage and [having] kids,” said D’Ambrosio. “People are getting used to having later relationships and commitments and enjoying their youth and options while they have the time.”
words&design_ariana glaser. photo_julia campbell.
This article was published in Distraction’s Summer 2026 print issue.
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