Posted February 15, Reviewed by Ekua Hagan. To read some of the coverage in Vanity Fair, Huffington Post , and the New York Times , one might think that hook-up apps propel every toyear-old into bed with someone new almost every night. In fact, hooking up represents only a minor variation on what used to be called dating.
Which raises a question: Did something change in young American sexuality during the first decade of the current century? The GSS, funded by the National Science Foundation since , is the only in-depth, ongoing, national interview-based survey of American beliefs and behavior. The researchers compared GSS data from two periods:. Otherwise, things are pretty much the same. The term "hook-up" may be new, but as far as getting it on is concerned, bed-hopping appears almost identical.
Only half of hook-ups involved any genital play, and only one-third included intercourse. These figures remind me of what I recall from my own casual relationships four decades ago.
From the s through the s, young adults interested in casual sex—or meeting long-term mates—often met at parties or singles bars. Meanwhile, for college students, spring break remains a prime time for hook-ups. Canadian researchers Maticka-Tyndale et al.
This may sound hasty, but, then, spring break is brief; vacationing students are horny and outgoing , and alcohol is abundant. I smell like a minibar. Is this a hickey or a bruise? Alcohol has always played a major role in casual sex and it continues to be key to hook-ups today. Alcohol and lust are a dangerous combination. Compared with sober lovers, those who are drunk are substantially less likely to use contraception.
