The Unexpected Reason People Aren’t Having Sex & How to Fix It | Dr. Debra Soh

Despite living in the most sexually permissive culture with widespread access to explicit content, Gen Z and millennials are having significantly less sex than previous generations. This suggests that over-exposure and desensitization may be contributing to disinterest rather than increased activity.

One in three men and one in five women have not had sex in the last year. And this is especially pronounced among millennials and Gen Z. Gen Z is actually having less sex than any previous generation at that age.

Children are exposed to pornography at increasingly younger ages (average 12, some as young as 10), often before developing a normal understanding of sexuality. This exposure normalizes extreme or violent acts, leading to unrealistic expectations and a diminished desire for conventional intimacy.

The average age at which a child sees pornography today is 12. One in seven kids sees porn at the age of 10 or younger. Kids think that that is what's normal and that's what they're supposed to do which is why we see violent sexual acts becoming more popular especially among Gen Z.

Hormonal changes, influenced by environmental factors, are contributing to reduced sex drive. Young men are experiencing lower testosterone levels due to endocrine disruptors in plastics, food, and water, while the birth control pill can reduce women's interest in sex and their ability to signal attraction.

This trend of younger men not doing as well... have lower testosterone than previous generations. And so this points to endocrine disruptors... in the environment in our food uh in the water supply. The birth control pill does things to a woman's body biologically that can lead her to be less interested in sex.

Constant exposure to idealized (and often filtered) bodies on social media leads individuals to feel less attractive and less interested in sex with their actual partners. This, combined with increased social anxiety from screen isolation, hinders real-life connection.

One in 10 men lose interest in having sex with their partner after looking at social media influencers and one in 10 women lose interest in having sex after being on social media because they feel worse about their bodies. Gen Z... don't really know how to negotiate or communicate... struggle with anxiety, social anxiety.

Advanced AI companions and increasingly realistic sex robots offer a customizable, convenient, and emotionally intimate (albeit artificial) alternative to human partners. This technology risks further isolating individuals and replacing genuine connection with simulated experiences.

AI companions... you also have the emotional intimacy and so you can also customize it so that the interactions are exactly what you want. Pretty much identical to a human being... does exactly what you want it to do. It doesn't talk when you don't want it to talk.