The second coming Sex and the next generation's fight over its future

Journalist Sherman, a specialist in sex and gender issues, compares trends in the sexual development of today's young Americans to that of previous generations. As she notes, the internet, the pandemic, the #MeToo movement, and the reversal of Roe v. Wade created a perfect storm for unprecedented interference from politicians and online juggernauts. Sherman interviewed people under 30, based on the assumption that this cohort will be the most significantly impacted by the current shift toward "sexual conservatism" and its denial of formerly assumed freedoms. She considers both the benefits and drawbacks of the online environments that have been conscripted as proxy sources of information due to the shortcomings of more traditional institutions. The author describes how inadequate sex education, restrictions on free speech, impediments to medical care and contraception, and the repudiation of new gender identities tacitly enable misogyny, bigotry, sexual harassment, and violence, especially toward marginalized groups. Sherman concludes that today's youth are remarkably informed, involved, and motivated to advocate for the sexually progressive beliefs that are now under siege.

Guardian journalist Sherman debuts with an in-depth look at how sociocultural shifts, political upheavals, and technological advances have upended Gen Z's sex lives. Sherman argues that Gen Z's "reputation as sex-negative puriteens" is reminiscent of scaremongering around millennials' "hookup culture." While she doesn't dismiss the "sex recession"--indeed, fewer teens and young adults are having sex--she complicates the statistics by considering the "enormous and oppositional forces" at work, including the constant presence of online porn, decades of abstinence-only sex ed, the dual emergence of #MeToo and the "manosphere," and Roe v. Wade's overturning. Sherman treats these topics with nuance (what may be harmful for some can be lifesaving for others, she notes, citing social media's potential to connect isolated LGBTQ+ teens to a wider community) as she draws on more than 100 interviews she conducted with young people about sex. Their stories range from horrifying accounts of rape and leaked nudes to recollections of inadequate sex ed leading to sexual fears ("I remember walking away terrified"). These personal anecdotes enliven Sherman's narrative, lending intimacy to extensive citations of empirical data. Sherman also hearteningly spotlights how Gen Z has pushed back against the likes of Florida's "Don't Say Gay" law with activism, including "peer-to-peer sex ed." The result is a clear-eyed snapshot of Gen Z without the usual hand-wringing. (June)