Why is the celibacy movement attracting young people?

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Joseph Chance (1:04)

Why is the celibacy movement attracting young people?

Thanks for asking.

Young people have much less of an appetite for sex these days, it seems. The phenomenon has been labelled a sex recession in the media, and terms like puritines have emerged to describe sex-shy youngsters. Studies have backed up the idea too. One published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior Journal in November 2021 found that the proportion of adolescents reporting no sexual activity is on the rise. But is that really a bad thing for young individuals? Maybe sex isn't all it's hyped up to be. Those who advocate voluntary celibacy would no doubt agree. Indeed, it's become something of a movement in its own right over the last few years. A brief look at celibacy TikTok is enough to confirm how significant it is, and that the trend is no coincidence. As I'm recording this episode in August 2023, the celibacy hashtag has accumulated over 225 million views. User Single Woman Chronicles is just one of a number of prominent TikTokers who post about celibacy.

SPEAKER_5 (2:16)

Every time I had sex, there was something taken out of me. Spiritually, mentally, emotionally, I felt like I was less than with each person I had sex with.

Joseph Chance (2:26)

Her videos are reflective of real societal change in the lifestyle habits of Generation Z. What factors explain the celibacy trend then? Posters cite having more time for themselves, for example. A desire to move away from hookup culture and one-night stands also naturally leads to less sexual encounters, especially outside of committed relationships. Dating fatigue and lower alcohol consumption likely have a part to play too. For the most part, you'll find feminist-leaning women who are reclaiming celibacy to oppose the norms of heterosexual hookup culture and center spiritual growth or well-being. That's according to Cosmopolitan, who ran a feature on the trend back in 2022

It's important to remember that while society has often exaggerated its importance, sex is not actually a fundamental human need, so it's perfectly acceptable to not want to be sexually active, and abstaining can actually be empowering. I thought sex positivity was on the rage these days. What happened to that?

Well from a feminist point of view, the sex-positive movement was definitely a good thing. It allowed young women to regain control over their romantic and or sexual experiences. Sexuality is less taboo than before and discussed more openly. But that doesn't necessarily mean that everyone wants to dive into it. A BuzzFeed News article from July 2021 questioned whether the movement had peaked, suggesting that as it went mainstream, it often appeared without important context. Worse, embracing it sometimes led to women becoming victims of toxic behavior from men.

Of course, the Me Too movement had a significant impact in highlighting the extent of sexist and sexual violence against women across the world. With increased awareness, Gen Z women tend to seek healthy, respectful, enjoyable and consensual sexual encounters, rather than just having sex for the sake of it.

There you have it. Now you know why the celibacy movement is attracting young people. In under three minutes, we answer your questions and help you understand the true meaning behind the trends, concepts and acronyms that are making headlines. Listen along and you will really know it for sure.