There's a Sex Recession. Does It Matter?

Yes, there's currently a sex recession happening with the younger folks. But I honestly think a cocktail recession would be worse! Hear me out.

A while back, the Atlantic's front page featured an article called, "Why Are Young People Having So Little Sex?" And it continues to be a frequent topic of conversation and a trend that presses on: young people are having less sex. And honestly, who cares?

Lux Apltraum, author of Faking It: The Lies Women Tell About Sex—And the Truths They Reveal, agrees. In a Vox response to the Atlantic article, she shared:

"Whatever the data says about broad trends and patterns — about who is having more sex than whom, about how many orgasms are being had when and where, about what sexual activity is the most popular of all — the only reliable source of answers we have for what our sex life "should" look like is our own libido, desire, and fantasies, and the honest conversations we have with our partners about what feels good for all of us."

This leads me to why I feel a cocktail recession would be far worse than the sex recession many seem to be in a continued tizzy about.

Watering holes, speakeasies, brunch hangouts, and happy hour hotspots. The moments we share in these establishments foster connection, intimacy, and joyful cocktail-induced moments. We don't only go to bars and restaurants for delicious, high-quality products we can indulge in. They are community hubs of connection.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, bars and restaurants were shuttered, leaving opportunities for community-building, interaction, and human connection shuttered too.

So, can we stop worrying about everyone's sex life and get back to what matters most: building deep, meaningful relationships, celebrating joyous moments, and enjoying the company of the communities that surround us?

After all, good sex doesn't exist without a safe, vulnerable connection about who we are and what we want. And that starts with getting back to talking to each other and connecting in meaningful ways.

And with that, I say, Cheers!