Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Explaining Sex Rate Changes

overcomingbias.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

81–90 of 588 posts

Re: Explaining Sex Rate Changes

#81

Post by BurningFrog »

manfredo wrote: post #22
ilaksh wrote: post #15

My theory is that it could be related to the economy getting worse. My belief is that women are generally more likely to have sex with someone that they consider to be viable long-term reproductive partners or marriage material. Fewer men have the financial success and stability that many women are looking for in a serious relationship that would make them comfortable with routine sex.

I don't think the data supports this. The economy has gotten better since 2008 by a significant margin. The unemployment rate has dropped consistently since 2010. But that's when the rise of lack of sex seems to really kick off and it hasn't subsided as the economy improved.

A variation is that women demand a man who makes more money than they do. In this model, increased female wages could be a factor.

Re: Explaining Sex Rate Changes

#83

Post by novia »

ronnier wrote: post #75

Why are articles like these yanked so quickly from the front page of HN?

Because people like me flag them.

If you want an actual explanation: I am a woman and this does not match with my lived experiences. In fact, the article seems to dehumanize women in a lot of places. I'm really tired of the incel narrative and the sorts of moral arguments that come along with articles of this type in the comment section. Seeing us represented this way really stresses me out. I'm just here to learn about tech stuff, geez.

Re: Explaining Sex Rate Changes

#84

Post by kilroy123 »

freyir wrote: post #26

As the article points out, fewer young men are having sex, but roughly the same number of young women are having sex. I wonder if dating apps (Tinder, Bumble, etc.) are leading women to have sex with a smaller cohort of desirable men. Years ago, OkCupid noted that a small percentage of men get an overwhelming percentage of messages from women. With the rise of "swipe right, swipe left" mobile dating apps, where peopl…

This is absolutely the case.

Sadly, we can see this kind of winner-takes-all dynamic play out in every part of our society now.

This worries me greatly.

Re: Explaining Sex Rate Changes

#86

Post by abledon »

tachyonbeam wrote: post #72
gnicholas wrote: post #69

In a way, this mirrors how technological advances have created winner-take-all markets in other areas. Thanks to CDs (and then the internet), we can now all listen to the very best musicians in the world — where previously we just had to settle for whoever was the best in our town. Similarly, technology may be shifting the dating/intimacy market toward a winners-take-most equilibrium, which favors the most attractive…

The internet and dating apps surely play a part. It's also become more acceptable to be non-monogamous. I lived in the bay area for a while and hung out among queer circles in San Francisco. It seemed like nearly everyone was polyamorous and uninterested in being in a monogamous relationship. So much that I felt kind of obligated to try the poly thing myself for a while if I was going to date. I am a little worried a…

Kids like a stable environment to grow up in too — messes up their psychological development when there is a revolving door for new ‘daddys’ and ‘mommys’ . We are for promiscuity at certain stages of life but.... yes the costs haha

Re: Explaining Sex Rate Changes

#87

Post by patrickg_zill »

The reality is that about 50% or maybe as high as 80% of men are not attractive as sex partners to women who are able to have many choices. And young women are attractive to men of all ages...

That is, the top 20% of men are the ones that are most desirable(however defined) .

In the past the desire to have kids(and the result of needing the man to stick around), and the shame of being considered a slut if a woman's slept with many men, kept much of this in check.

Re: Explaining Sex Rate Changes

#88

Post by [deleted] »

ianai wrote: post #57
fratlas wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've noticed this disparity within my friend circles. The objectively attractive men match/sleep with multiple woman a month where almost all of the men with near average looks get approximately zero matches. Interesting indeed. My female friends match with almost every male regardless.

I think you’re both onto something. There’s even a likely network effect where those men who sleep around are even more attractive to potential mates. Not as a rule, of course, but as a contributing factor. It’s a very destabilizing trend. Not only are these same men being economically disadvantaged, but they’re being socially isolated. Perfect way to increase violent tendencies, drug addition, and so on.

[deleted]

Re: Explaining Sex Rate Changes

#89

Post by anonytrary »

ronnier wrote: post #75

Why are articles like these yanked so quickly from the front page of HN?

Because they lead to controversial comments which get flagged at a higher rate and either one or both of the following are true:

  1. The algorithm is designed to automatically bump
     threads down when the number of flagged comments
     exceeds a certain amount or rate.
  2. The moderators want to simplify their moderation
     duties and manually bump the post down to lower
     the comment flux.
Post reply on HN