Is Social Media Reducing Unprotected Sex?

After being accused of a host of negatives like breaking into family time, privacy infringement, psychological issues in youngsters, Social Media is now being pointed out to be a reason for another social finding. But this time, the news isn’t all bad. According to one theory being put forward, social media might be the reason for lower teenage pregnancy in England and Wales.

According to the data released by Office for National Statistics, 23 young women out of every 1,000, under the age of 18 became pregnant in 2014, compared with 47 out of 1,000 in 1998. The figure of 23 is lowest since the records began 50 years back.

24*7 Digital Technology

Out of many reasons being pointed out for this drop, one could possibly be technology’s impact as teenagers are spending more time networking on social media and less time hanging out, getting drunk and doing things they may later regret.

Prof David Paton, an economist at Nottingham University Business School, told the Telegraph: “It does potentially fit in terms of timing. People spending time at home – rather than sitting at bus stops with a bottle of vodka they are doing it remotely with their friends ... Nobody really knows why we’ve got this sudden change around about 2007 to 2008.”

The estimated number of teenage pregnancies fell from 24,306 in 2013 to 22,653 in 2014.Clare Murphy, director of external affairs at the abortion provider British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS), in tune with Prof David Paton added: “The plummeting level of teenage drinking, for example, may be reducing the likelihood of unprotected sex, and teenagers are also increasingly socialising online, limiting the opportunities for sexual activity.”

Teenagers have been increasingly spending more and more time networking on social platforms. According to a report by Ofcom last year, 16-24-year-olds spent more than 27 hours a week on the internet – almost three times the amount it was in 2005.

Similar Cases Elsewhere

What is happening in U.K is being witnessed elsewhere too. In the US, according to a report published in November by Common Sense Media teenagers are spending nine hours a day using social media. That’s more time than they typically spend each day sleeping. Tweens (children aged eight to 12) spend about six hours on average.

Japanese media, meanwhile, has coined the term sekkusushinaishokogun, or “celibacy syndrome”, which is considered a looming national catastrophe. Japan has one of the world’s lowest birth rates, with a population projected to plunge by a further third by 2060.

Ai Aoyama, a sex and relationship counsellor in Japan, told the Observer this was because the country was experiencing “a flight from human intimacy”. Other explanations include a growing preoccupation with digital technology.