
TechStuff The Story: Social Media is Ruining Our Sex Lives
Sep 17, 2025
Carter Sherman, a reproductive health and justice reporter for The Guardian and author of 'The Second Coming,' explores why Gen Z is experiencing a sex recession. She discusses how technology and social media reshape intimacy, fostering burnout and isolation. The impact of inadequate sex education and political factors, like Roe v. Wade's overturning, complicate their relationship with sex and love. Personal stories showcase the struggle between digital connections and genuine vulnerability, highlighting the challenges of finding authentic relationships in a tech-driven world.
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Policy Shapes Private Sex Lives
- Study and reform policy around sex, because public rules shape private lives.
- Sherman urges attention to courtroom and legislative decisions affecting sex and safety.
Phones Correlate With Rising Anxiety
- Smartphones and social media correlate with rising anxiety and lower sexual activity.
- Sherman traces many youth mental-health trends to ubiquitous phone use since 2010.
Abstinence-Only Education Backfires
- Federally funded abstinence-only sex ed has proliferated despite poor effectiveness.
- Sherman notes it can pathologize sex and increase anxiety without delaying sexual activity.




