Honestly I don’t tend to put a lot of stock in pop-culture surveys, but this one threw up a few things that I think are worth considering.
No. 1 – 48% of under thirties (from a sample size of 2000 people total) said that working from home had allowed for more sex.
Now younger people cop a lot of stick for not being “appropriately dedicated” to their work, but I absolutely understand this attitude. Growing up most of us older than Gen Z were told that we had to “work hard to get ahead” and that building a career was critical to happiness and success. While some people find fulfillment from a traditional career, many – I would say most – do not.
What has become known as “grind culture” is in fact incredibly destructive for most people, leaving them drained of energy and unable to fully participate in a relationship and a satisfying sex life.
If working from home is helping people to find a better balance between their work and their mental and sexual wellbeing then I am all for it.
I have worked for myself and from home for the vast majority of my adult life and although there are challenges and it just doesn’t work for some people I think that it’s worth fighting for if it works for you – especially if it means you can have a better sex life!
No. 2 – 48% of people say that stress and burnout is the biggest barrier to sex.
I’m genuinely surprised that the number is only 48%. I’m not surprised that stress and burnout is a problem though. For me personally as a male sex worker for women I have to manage my stress and limit the number of bookings that I take to make sure that I have the energy and enthusiasm to provide a professional service.
That’s not always an easy balance to strike even for me – so for the average person who has to pour their time and energy into their work it is no surprise at all that the stress of our lives and the burden of earning a living can have a significant impact on having and enjoying sex.
So, going back to the point above – I applaud the people who stick to their guns and demand to be able to work from home. Sex shouldn’t be something that we tack on to the end of our day. It should be a part of our lives that we nurture and celebrate make space for. It is too easy to always put other things ahead of sex.
No. 3 – 66% of young adults describe themselves as heterosexual compared to 80% one generation ago.
What surprises me here is that the difference isn’t larger. Still, Australia is a relatively conservative county deep down, so perhaps it’s just worth celebrating that an entire third of young adults felt free to say “I’m not heterosexual”.
I don’t attach value to being heterosexual, queer, gay, bi or any other orientation. All are equally valid. What I do value is people having the confidence and freedom to decide and to voice their identity.
John