Young people in the UK are finding it increasingly difficult to leave the parental home, form lasting relationships and maintain an active social life. The Centre for Social Justice report “Relationship Crisis: Pornography” links this trend to the spread of pornography, the high cost of living, youth unemployment and changes in the way people meet.
According to the analysis, 25-year-old men are 26 times more likely to live with their mother than with a spouse. The share of people aged between 20 and 34 who remain in the parental home has risen from 20% in 2008 to nearly 30% now. Among young men, this applies to around one-third, while among young women it applies to one-quarter.
Marriage and sex are in sharp decline
The report records a long-term decline in the number of young families. In England and Wales, the number of married people under 30 has fallen from 4.5 million in 1976 to approximately 790,000. According to the analysis, the likelihood of men and women marrying by the age of 30 has fallen by 90% over the past five decades, while among people in their early 20s the decline is more than 97%.
At the same time, the share of 16- to 24-year-olds who identify as sexually active has fallen from 68% to 44% in seven years. The fertility rate in England and Wales is 1.39 children per woman, while the average age at which women become mothers has risen from 23 in the 1970s to 31 today.
Pornography as a factor
The Centre for Social Justice identifies pornography as one of the factors affecting trust, intimacy and communication between partners. The data in the report show that 27% of men watch pornography several times a week or more often, compared with 5% of women.
“One of the harms of watching pornography is the deeper damage to relationships, trust, intimacy and communication,” the report says. The authors stress that even a small effect on an individual can acquire social significance when repeated among millions of people.
More than 18% of Britons aged 18-34 – nearly three million people – said they had considered uploading adult content to OnlyFans or similar platforms. Television presenter and actor Oti Mabuse, who has spoken publicly about his addiction to pornography, says these sites present the publication of intimate content as an easy way to earn money, while at the same time encouraging “the commodification of the female body”.
Fewer encounters outside the internet
The environment in which young people meet is also changing. Only one in 20 couples now meet by chance offline. Online dating is the leading channel, but according to the report it is unevenly distributed – there are approximately two men for every woman.
The number of licensed venues has fallen by 29% since 1990, while more than a quarter of late-night venues have disappeared since the Covid-19 pandemic. One in four young people does not drink alcohol, compared with one in seven in 2017. Working from home and the closure of around 1,000 youth clubs over 15 years further restrict opportunities for social contact.
The Centre for Social Justice also notes that the share of 15-year-olds who spend time with friends every evening has fallen from 14% to 2% since the beginning of the century. The report also cites the claim that one-quarter of young people aged 17-19 are likely to have a mental disorder.
Among the recommendations is that pornography should be discussed more often between doctors and patients and included in sex education. The report notes that 47% of adults have never discussed with their partner whether either of them watches pornography.
Sources: dailymail.com, aol.com