The Second Coming: Sex and the Next Generation’s Fight Over Its Future

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)