From the CBC:
People having less sex because of social media distractions: study by Jennifer Dunning
Next time you're feeling frisky, consider leaving your smartphone or tablet out of the bedroom.
A new study out of the U.K. suggests Britons are having less sexbecause they are distracted by social media and are taking their portable technology with them into the bedroom.
The National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles found that, between 2010 and 2012, men aged 16 to 44 had sex 4.9 times a month, and women of the same age range 4.8 times a month.
For men, this compares to:
- 6.2 times a month from 1999 to 2001
- 6.4 times a month from 1990 to 1991
For women, this compares to:
- 6.3 times a month from 1999 to 2001
- 6.1 times a month from 1990 to 1991
"We... think modern technologies are behind the trend. People have tablets and smartphones and they are taking them into the bedroom, using Twitter and Facebook, answering emails," Dr. Cath Mercer of University College London told BBC.
Brits not getting enough nookie? The study's sexual nature has quickly become fodder for jokes online.
If someone has to step up to the challenge, I guess i will have to volunteer. RT Britons having sex less often
-- Mark Leiser (@mleiser) November 26, 2013
The results of the study, which is done every 10 years, was published in The Lancet Tuesday.
More than 15,000 adults aged 16 to 74 participated in the study between September 2010 and August 2012.
"Two previous ... surveys have taken place, in 1990 and 2000, making it one of the biggest and most comprehensive studies of sexual behaviour undertaken in a single country," according to The Lancet.
Researchers say unemployment is also a factor that contributes to Brits having sex less often because it can result in depression followed by low libido -- but technology is a definite part of the equation.
"At the other end of the scale iPads and computers have all breached the boundary between the home and the bedroom," said professor Kaye Wellings, of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, which helped interview participants.