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Your observation that younger generations (male and female alike) are more cautious and less likely to take risks is strongly backed up by data. All forms of ri

Your observation that younger generations (male and female alike) are more cautious and less likely to take risks is strongly backed up by data. All forms of risky behavior–from sex to drug use and even driving fast—are down among teens. https://psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/2018-40992-001.html https://psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/2018-40992-001.html As another supporting example: I'm a gay man in his late 20s, and because of Grindr I often virtually encounter a lot of early 20s and late teens people (cis and trans alike) starting to explore their sexuality through the LGBT version of hookup and dating apps. Guys under 25 are significantly more cautious and shy in how they present themselves and talk, which is surprising to me since I live in a progressive area where there are fewer social anxieties about being LGBT. Even literally in a gay sex club, I've seen younger guys are super super shy about hitting on anyone. Something about digital media, lack of real life social interaction, and increased pressure on young people is creating a generation of anxious, shy, depressive people, and it's not because of problems uniquely between straight men and women.

throwaway923663 4y ago
I strongly suspect that it's mostly lack of real-life social interaction with the underlying reason for that being digital media taking all of their time. I politely hit on people in person and succeed 20% of the time. Friends and acquaintances watch me do this and then say things like, "I don't know how you do that." / "How do you do that?" / "I could never do that." "Why not?" I always ask. I've never gotten an answer. Something is preventing them from answering. The answer isn't fear of getting MeToo'd; these interactions sometimes happen in places with terrible lighting and unrecordable audio. You said yourself that they can't even do it in a sex club where no one has cell phones. They can't start conversations even in an environment where it's socially acceptable to fuck immediately. These are extremely peculiar and awkward environments at first and their anxiety levels are low enough that they were able to show up. So it isn't anxiety. The only possible explanation I can imagine is that making small talk and reading body language is a skill that they don't even know exists. They aren't getting better at it. How are these people going to succeed in life and in business? Sex parties, or at the very least, bars, are the perfect place to develop these skills and it just isn't happening. I guess it's working for me though. My 20% success rate hasn't gone down as I've gotten older and uglier.
- anon2348 4y ago
  Psychology research is pretty thin and not great science, but there's some evidence floating around that you may be right about lack of social skills. Social skills lower in kids who are the heaviest users of gaming and social networks: https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/707985 https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/707985 (obviously correlative but still) Time away from screens improves reading nonverbal emotional cues in kids: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0747563214003227 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S074756321...
atoav 4y ago
Thanks, very interesting insight.

throwaway923663 4y ago

I strongly suspect that it's mostly lack of real-life social interaction with the underlying reason for that being digital media taking all of their time. I politely hit on people in person and succeed 20% of the time. Friends and acquaintances watch me do this and then say things like, "I don't know how you do that." / "How do you do that?" / "I could never do that." "Why not?" I always ask. I've never gotten an answer. Something is preventing them from answering. The answer isn't fear of getting MeToo'd; these interactions sometimes happen in places with terrible lighting and unrecordable audio. You said yourself that they can't even do it in a sex club where no one has cell phones. They can't start conversations even in an environment where it's socially acceptable to fuck immediately. These are extremely peculiar and awkward environments at first and their anxiety levels are low enough that they were able to show up. So it isn't anxiety. The only possible explanation I can imagine is that making small talk and reading body language is a skill that they don't even know exists. They aren't getting better at it. How are these people going to succeed in life and in business? Sex parties, or at the very least, bars, are the perfect place to develop these skills and it just isn't happening. I guess it's working for me though. My 20% success rate hasn't gone down as I've gotten older and uglier.

anon2348 4y ago
Psychology research is pretty thin and not great science, but there's some evidence floating around that you may be right about lack of social skills. Social skills lower in kids who are the heaviest users of gaming and social networks: https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/707985 https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/707985 (obviously correlative but still) Time away from screens improves reading nonverbal emotional cues in kids: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0747563214003227 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S074756321...

atoav 4y ago

Thanks, very interesting insight.