A new meta-analysis combining data from 28 studies suggests that sexual and gender minorities are not only at increased risk of mental health problems, but also have more difficulty in regulating their emotions. This is usually ascribed to “minority stress,” but that thesis is undercut by the finding that bisexuals experienced greater problems with emotional […]
Less Sex on Screen in Hollywood
A recent survey conducted by the Teens & Screens project at UCLA suggests that nearly half of Gen Z moviegoers think there is too much explicit sex in movies and on TV, and would like to see more narratives about non-romantic friendships. Hollywood producers have responded by scaling back on scenes of sex and nudity […]
AI Dating Café Opens in NYC
EVA AI opens in New York City this month, a physical location with romantic lighting where lonely people can choose a table with an illuminated phone screen showing different AI companions with whom they can pretend to have a date. While this venue could help the socially awkward feel more comfortable being seen in a […]
New Study of Nonbinary
A growing number of young people today identify as “nonbinary,” but that identity has been little examined by researchers. Popular opinion tends to see “nonbinary” merely as a more tentative version of “trans.” However, it is quite distinct. A team of researchers from Bristol, UK, has undertaken qualitative interviews with 105 self-identified nonbinary persons recruited […]
Data on the Sex Recession
While some young people find it insufferable to read nostalgic articles by older people who complain that the youngsters aren’t fucking enough, this new article in The Guardian does highlight some hard data: the number of high school students who have had sex declined from 47% in 2013 to 32% in 2023, although this could […]
Meeting Partners Online Yields Poor Results
An international study of over 6000 partnered individuals from 50 countries shows that 21% of those initiating their relationship since 2010 met their partner online, and that those relationships tended to be less satisfactory and involve lower intensity of experienced love. An article in The Guardian discusses how the new rules and terminology for online […]
Sexual Inactivity in Japan
A newly published review in the Journal of Sex Research synthesizes the results of 43 surveys conducted over the last 50 years concerning sexual inactivity, inexperience, and lack of desire among Japanese youth, which is increasingly recognized as a serious social problem in a country worried about population decline. Today, about half the Japanese population […]
Decline in Youth Trans and Queer Identification?
A study published by the Centre for Heterodox Social Science at the University of Buckingham uses three surveys to suggest a substantial drop (about 50%) in non-binary self-identification among American students since 2023, and a smaller but not insignificant drop (about 10%) in “queer” self-identification; however, the rate of identification with traditional labels like gay […]
Is Non-Affirming Counseling for Gender Dysphoria “Conversion Therapy”?
On October 7, the US Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Chiles v. Salazar, the case challenging Colorado’s ban on counseling for gender dysphoria that does not seek to affirm gender transition as the best path forward for the patient. Much of the legal debate concerns whether psychotherapy is medical treatment (conduct that can be […]
Adolescent Sexual Fluidity
A study of 1,513 Swedish adolescents from age 14 to 17 reveals a surprising degree of variation in sexual orientation during this developmental phase. Most striking is the fluidity of those who at some point in their trajectory identify as lesbian or gay: only 17.6% of girls and 29.4% of boys who so identify did […]