To think the young are less interested in sex, relationships and children

@JHound Try telling that to the elderly who need healthcare and help at home! All modern societies expect tax income from younger people to pay for the greater services needed by the elderly and others not earning. . Plus education for their dc and everything else the state needs to spend money on. It’s never ever been anything different. You might want to revise how economics works and what society wants, but it won’t happy . Neither will we be Communist! When you are older you might understand how economics works for everyone and we are all invested in it, whether you like it or not.

As of 2022, Pew Research Center found, 30 percent of U.S. adults are neither married, living with a partner nor engaged in a committed relationship. Nearly half of all young adults are single: 34 percent of women, and a whopping 63 percent of men.
Not surprisingly, the decline in relationships marches astride with a decline in sex. The share of sexually active Americans stands at a 30-year low. Around 30 percent of young men reported in 2019 that they had no sex in the past year, compared to about 20 percent of young women.
Only half of single men are actively seeking relationships or even casual dates, according to Pew. That figure is declining.

https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/3868557-most-young-men-are-single-most-young-women-are-not/

These figures were floating round the intent for USA a while ago. The article suggest various reasons but a lot is young men doing less well and not measuring up. I image some of that also huge stress levels and long work hours in USA.

The fertility level are partly political issue - I can't find it now but saw article with stats from research that said for every 2 UK kids born a third would have been welcomed - I suspect that from people who already have kids rather than percentage who just don't want them- but it's too expensive too much work - as as PP say to risky with relationships commonly not lasting.

If it was made a bit easier birth rate would likely go up a bit - but politically there no support and lots of hostile as parenthood is seen a lifestyle choice - so we'll continue to import labour and have more of population work longer - so later retirements- so have workers to tax to support dependents more of who will be older dependents.

That’s a ponzi scheme.

We need to restructure society instead of depending on ever increasing population growth. That is not sustainable.

I think it's easier to be happy if you live at (parents') home - even if you don't have a BF/GF.
If they did leave home, perhaps unreliable flatmates, who cleans the loo, all the money it costs, everyone in their friendship circle paired up - coming home to an empty flat etc This is encouragement to stay home rather than leave.

I've been married 40+ years and we have had our moments. But now in our 70s I don't fancy living alone, what if you have a fall, you need someone to steady the ladder when you change the light bulb, to help you get to places if you can no longer drive. So it's not that marriage is wonderfully blissful - it's just much more practical and easier at this stage - and staying with mum and dad is easier in your 20s.

@EmpressaurusKittyBella No not suggesting no divorce but it’s a massive drain in housing. It’s equivalent to second homes. We also live in a free country. We are allowed to make choices.

Gosh, I was snogging behind the bikeshed at 11. Rural comprehensive school.

I think when you're going into £9k- £15k per year you're going to not do anything that might mess it up tbh.

My DGD is 18, not chosen the Uni route, is doing an Apprenticeship. Barely drinks and no interest in relationships at all. Very different from my kids at the same age.

Holiday homes don’t affect everywhere. Divorced people needing two homes are. Buying homes to rent out as a private landlord is the only way many people get a home so they are vital because the state doesn’t build enough.

Yes, I rented for years, I just don’t think that potential homes should be allowed to be left empty when someone could be living in them.

You can’t be suggesting that people shouldn’t get divorced because then they’d need two homes. That’s even more unreasonable than the idea that people should get into a relationship because it makes it easier to buy somewhere, or have children because society needs them to.

You could even describe it as outsourcing reproduction to the Global South. Easier to entice their brightest and best.

@EmpressaurusKittyBella Holiday homes don’t affect everywhere. Divorced people needing two homes are. Buying homes to rent out as a private landlord is the only way many people get a home so they are vital because the state doesn’t build enough.

@JHound A declining birth rate is a huge economic problem. It means we have an aging population and won’t have enough working to pay taxes to provide what’s needed. There will inevitably be lower productivity and we will continue with high immigration to try and get work done. So it’s not a good economic model on any front.

It just feels that young people can never win in some people's eyes. Teenage pregnancy rates fall dramatically = oh they are not interested in relationships.

Good!

I never wanted to feel tied down, particularly in my 20s (this was in the 1990s) and spent most of my time batting away male attention. When I met DH at 23 I was in no way ready to settle down and it took me a while to even commit to properly going out with him, as I knew how he felt. We didn't get married for five years, I was in no hurry.

www.instagram.com/reel/DFkx5VgIuwX/?igsh=d3E1djVuN3NueTRt

Interesting post on this topic

Exactly.

If this is true - and I'm not sure that it is - then it's actually very healthy that young people don't see relationships and children as "life's central joy". Because they aren't, necessarily. There are multiple things that can bring joy, and if young people realise that, then it takes the pressure off them to "settle down", and make bad decisions in the process.

DD2 had a serious boyfriend younger than me, and DD1 at 19 is too busy to have a serious relationship at university and I don't think is bothered- pretty much how I always felt.

I didn't have a boyfriend until I was 17, but felt looking back in the 1980s and 1990s that we were creepily sexualised at a young age by a vastly male dominated media and I remember people asking me if I was "courting" from about the age of 13. I knew loads of girls who had sex at far, far too young an age, and several girls were pregnant and left school in Y10 or Y11. If that doesn't go on so much now then great.

It’s very clear that two people buying a house is easier than one. It reduces the need for building for a start! That’s an important consideration.

Yes to the first two, but I don’t think either should be an important consideration when two people are deciding to live together.

As for reducing house building, an end to second homes and ‘investment’ flats being left empty would help with that too. People should only be able to own homes if they’re either going to live in them themselves or rent them to a tenant.

I mean I would not find it odd that a 16 year old has never had a boyfriend / girlfriend. That is very young still

I agree that Gen Z seems far less focused on relationships and children. My teenagers (19 and 16) are interested in their education, careers, their hobbies and friendships. DD (19) dates but has no real interest in a LTR right now. DS (16) seems to get on with girls and has said that he’d like a gf one day, but has made no effort to find one!

Personally, I think it’s part of society’s progression since the 1960’s, when the Pill’s introduction finally gave women real control over their fertility. Having that control has led to each generation focusing a little more on what they want to achieve with their lives, rather than finding a partner or having children. After 60-odd years, it’s truly socially acceptable to do this, which is great.

Of course, someone’s priorities may change later in life, but I think it’s healthy to be less relationship-focused when you’re a young adult so that you can achieve some of your own goals before you consider anyone else’s!

It depends what you mean. I wouldn't think 16 was at all young for a boyfriend / girlfriend depending on the level of seriousness.

That’s super young though. I would have thought most people had never had a partner at that age.

Retract consent at a later date? What on earth are you talking about?

Why is the population declining a concern? We don’t (well women don’t) need relationships and partners to reproduce.

But I think mainly young people are realising they don’t have to reproduce and / or they don’t have to settle for poor quality relationships.

The need for replacement population is totally obvious. It’s important we do this. We just complain about others coming in but don’t see the need for our own children who have a much greater allegiance to this country. We are foolish to think immigration is the answer.

@EmpressaurusKittyBella It’s very clear that two people buying a house is easier than one. It reduces the need for building for a start! That’s an important consideration. As would families splitting and needing two houses. Not going to happen but it’s additional pressure on land resources.

What about this?

From ‘couple goals’ to ‘beige flags’, here’s why you shouldn’t take relationship advice from TikTok

Tl/dr modern relationships are performative and to be shared with your TkTok audience: the result is dissatisfaction because nothing in reality measures up.

By Dr Lisa Portolan of Western Sydney University.

The article also talks about 'main character syndrome' which backs up my own point that an increased focus on self makes relationships harder.

@Dappy777 You're absolutely right it happens the other way around too. Sad isn't it