What might be missing or underemphasized?
Here are some important angles the article doesn't deeply explore -- or only scratches the surface of:
1. Delayed adulthood and economic precarity among young adults
IFS doesn't discuss longer transitions into adulthood -- like living with parents, delayed employment, or economic instability -- which correlate with delay in romantic/sexual activity. Evidence shows sexual inactivity rose sharply in young men and women even before the pandemic. Economic dependence and lack of autonomy crimp both pairing and sexual frequency.
2. Mental health, anxiety, and burnout
The article doesn't touch on how rising anxiety, depression, and mental fatigue reduce libido or engagement. Other analyses link mood disorders and burnout to sexual decline, but IFS doesn't include this emotional/psychological dimension.
3. New sexual norms, consent culture, and gender dynamics
The article overlooks shifting cultural expectations around sex -- such as heightened consent awareness, evolving boundaries, or rising hesitancy among both sexes. A recent discussion in Wired (June 2025) highlights how social media, body image issues, politicized sexual norms, and #MeToo-era dynamics affect Gen Z's sexual activity.
4. Individual differences and sexual satisfaction framing
IFS frames sexual decline as negative but doesn't differentiate between frequency and desire or satisfaction. Not all individuals or couples prioritize high frequency; some might be content with less. As pointed out in critiques of the âoesex recessionâ framing, more sex isn't always better -- and satisfaction doesn't scale with frequency.
5. Conflict, workload, and emotional disconnect in relationships
IFS mentions tech replacing couple time, but doesn't discuss relational factors like unresolved conflict, work stress, parenting exhaustion, or emotional drift that erode sexual desire over time -- even in married couples.
6. Broader societal, cultural, and generational shifts
The article doesn't explore how secularization, changing religious attitudes, or broader cultural disconnection may influence sex. Nor does it compare cross-national trends, although declines are visible globally -- in France, rates have plummeted, with cultural and workload factors at play.