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Why Gen Z Have Terrible Sex Lives

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27.04.2026

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Why Gen Z Have Terrible Sex Lives

Welcome to “The Great Unwanting.”

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Doomscrolling has become a bad habit for many of us, not just Gen Z, but according to new research, it’s actually getting in the way of healthy sex lives.

A new survey of 2,000 Americans by self-growth app RiseGuide found that 39% of Gen Zers choose social media over sex at least sometimes, while 21% do so often. In fact, one in eight Gen Zers believes that scrolling is more pleasurable than sex, while 23% see no difference between the two.

I mean, seeing as both of these trigger a dopamine hit, it’s no surprise that so many people are opting for the “safer” option. According to RiseGuide researchers, this is a phenomenon called “The Great Unwanting: everything intimacy used to provide—excitement, stimulation, validation—[is] now available online for free.”

What Is ‘The Great Unwanting’?

The Great Unwanting describes the growing trend of choosing cheap dopamine (like from doomscrolling) over good dopamine (like from intimacy and........

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