In today’s swipe-right world, it’s pretty easy to find casual sex whenever you want it.
This is great news for groups that have traditionally had their sexuality policed, and those who aren’t looking for commitment. Casual sex is for physical pleasure, no emotions included. Get off, and get out. It’s often more fun than masturbating, without the stress that can come from a relationship.
Considering that about half our generation grew up with divorced parents, coupled with the prevalence of mental health awareness, people might not want to get into a relationship willy-nilly—I, for one, want to make sure I’m in a stable place mentally before this happens. Casual sex is an easy way to have your physical needs satisfied without the complications of something more serious.
But is casual sex taking a toll on our mental and emotional health? I’m all in favour of casual sex (honestly, you do you), but one only has to have post-hookup feelings for a one-night stand to realize emotional/mental health and sexuality are related. According to a study done at Concordia University, emotional attachment and sexual desire originate in overlapping parts of the brain.
According to an article in Psychology Today, college students who participated in casual sex “had lower rates of self-esteem, life-satisfaction, and happiness compared to those who had not had casual sex in the past month. Students who recently engaged in hookups had higher distress scores as indicated by levels of depression and anxiety.”
And despite the stereotype that men are okay with casual sex and women are not, there were no gender differences found in the study. A correlational study, it was conducted with over 3,900 students at 30 U.S. college campuses by Melina Bersamin (Sacramento State University) and Seth Schwartz (Miami University).
On the other side of the equation, a study published in 2014 in the journal Social Psychology and Personality Science suggested those who are sexually liberal find that casual encounters can have a positive effect on psychological well-being.
As the study’s authors said, “the effects of casual sex depend on the extent to which this behavior is congruent with one’s general personality tendencies.”
The study involved 371 undergraduate students who were surveyed over nine months about their sexual encounters and emotional health. They were also required to report how they felt about casual sex, based on their responses to questions about behaviour, attitudes, and desire.
These are only two studies, but a quick Google search will show you that both sides of the debate are supported, anecdotally and in research, by many. The idea that men are better than women at casual sex is still prevalent, but I personally might chalk that up to social expectations—if society says part of being masculine is being sexually assertive, and part of being female is being sexually passive, then there is going to be a divide.
So, maybe the answer is not to stop engaging in casual sex, but just realize that it does have consequences on other areas of your life and be ready for it. If you can handle it, go for it, but if you can’t, that’s okay too.
Just because everyone is riding the Tinder train, doesn’t mean you have to.
