The French have never made so little love: the culprits are known

© Unsplash/Gwen Mamanoleas

« On dating apps, we have the impression that men are in excess, and I think it’s not just an impression.” Jérémie does not hide his disappointment with these services that were once presented as the ideal solution for multiplying experiences. In any case, his words illustrate the impact of digital technology on our private lives and a much deeper societal trend.

According to a recent survey conducted by Ifop, only 43% of French people have sex at least once a week. This proportion has fallen by 15% compared to 2009. This trend is even more marked among young people. Thus, 30% of 18-24 year-olds have not had sexual intercourse in the last year.

This observation does not necessarily seem to be a problem for many of them, even if 60% of men report suffering related to this new situation, compared to only 30% of women.

To explain this societal change, dating apps are often cited as an example. Quoted by our colleagues from the Spanish newspaper El Periodico, Aurore Malet-Karas, a doctor in neuroscience and couples therapist, thus underlines:

Dating has become an unpleasant activity. On these apps, there are ten men for every woman, which leads to frustration on both sides.

Moreover, the fact that encounters are considered ephemeral on certain services can sometimes influence the quality of intimate relationships, which is likely to generate even more disappointment.

This suffering that we mentioned above is also subtly exploited by certain French far-right influencers who ride the wave to sell their reactionary ideas.

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Among other trends, easy and massive access to pornography also seems to play a role in this decrease in intimate relationships. Various studies have also shown how young people and adults who consume this content massively can experience weariness in the context of real encounters or on the contrary have unrealistic expectations that never come to fruition.

Still according to an Ifop survey, 31% of French people have already avoided sexual intercourse in favor of other leisure activities such as watching a series on a streaming platform, playing video games or scrolling through their social networks.

This level even rises to 50% of young men who preferred to watch content on Netflix rather than make love, compared to 41% of young women. In short, the “Netflix & chill” which refers to a relaxing evening that starts with streaming and ends in a naughty way, is taking a hit.

Several studies have also shown how the omnipresence of screens in our homes tends to reduce sexual relations and intimacy within a couple. Spending time in front of our smartphones, computers, televisions and tablets would have a direct effect on desire.

If, as we have seen above, these developments generate regrets in some, we should not dramatize the situation. As François Kraus, director of the “Gender, Sexualities and Sexual Health” division of Ifop, explained at the beginning of the year, we have entered « a new cycle where the constraint to have a sex life to “pleasure” oneself or “like everyone else” is less strong ».

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