"The Greatest Generation (In Bed) – How Millennials Are Changing the Sexual Landscape"

Imgism

Some pretty self-congratulatory stuff from the upcoming generation, but I suspect it's mostly true. I hope!

The Greatest Generation (In Bed) – How Millennials Are Changing the Sexual Landscape

By Alan Brightside

Barely a day seems to pass without one of the ‘wise old men’ who dominate the editorial columns writing a dubiously- researched opinion piece on how the Millennial generation is dangerously apathetic, hedonistic, and lazy. The American Conservative recently published an article bemoaning the fact that over a quarter of men and women under 30 don’t bother to affiliate with any religion and are therefore, in their words, the “decadent” generation.

They’re absolutely right. By the standards of our parents, we’re all little Caligulas. And that’s our greatest strength.

As the generation with the least up-tight views on sex since the ’60s, our sexual laissez-faire is changing the way society treats both sex and identity, entirely for the better. Here’s how.

1. Pornography and masturbation are now things that normal people do....

...With the invention of the internet, we are the first generation to grow up without having to wonder, “Is touching myself going to kill me?”... Millennials are enjoying guilt-free masturbation in record numbers — if that doesn’t lead to a more well adjusted society, I don’t know what will.

2. Millenials are more likely to experiment with the same gender — and overwhelmingly support gay marriage....

...The surprisingly detailed OkCupid dating insights data suggests that over 34% of young men and women have either had a same-sex encounter or would like to — an increase that dovetails nicely with the 81% of people under 30 who now support gay marriage. Coincidence? We think not.

3. Sex is no longer necessarily between two people, and love doesn’t need to be either.

According to an ABC survey, over 21% of Americans have had a threesome and a further 14% would like to — and that’s counting all generations. Factor out people over 30, and this percentage rises dramatically. So why does it matter?

One of the last remaining forms of legal discrimination against consenting adult relationships is with men or women who choose to involve themselves with more than one partner. Note that polyamorous people are not necessarily going around throwing orgies — but, much like homosexuality, a generation that is willing to reinterpret traditional notions of monogamy is far more likely to support the right of others to live the lifestyle of their choice.

4. We’re having more sex than anyone since the 60s — but not having unwanted kids.

...Despite the worst efforts of legislators and educators, our generation has the lowest teen pregnancy rate in history — because we’re smarter about condom use and birth control than any generation before us.

5. Kink is the new mainstream — and it’s leading to intelligent discussions about consent....

6. The stigmas around sex work are lessening as attitudes about sex become more relaxed....

...So next time you see an out of touch columnist rushing to label the youth as decadent, embrace it. Overthrowing the backwards sexual morality of yesteryear can be our greatest accomplishment.

Read the whole article (Jan. 23, 2014). Imgism is an online magazine of mostly lightweight culture stuff ("whether you want to look at some cats for 6 hours or read up on some entertainment news, we got you covered.")

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