Why Nobody is Having Sex Anymore (& why it matters) - Dr Debra Soh

Dr Debra Soh is a neuroscientist, sex researcher, political commentator, and author. Why are we more connected than ever—but having less sex? Technology promised endless connection, but many people feel more isolated than ever. With sexlessness increasing, what’s causing the modern “sex recession,” and what can be done about it? Expect to learn if people having less sex is a big deal or not, what the current state of modern sexual activity is, when the sex recession started and if rising hypergamy was a factor, if the role of porn attributed to the sex recession and the shocking new neuroscience of porn use, why looksmaxxing and plastic surgery are on the rise, the role social media and smartphones had in growing sexlessness, what can be done top-down to fix the sex recession and much more… - 0:00 Is Sex Really On the Decline? 4:13 When Did the Sex Recession Start? 7:24 Why is Hypergamy Shifting? 16:26 Is Hypergamy Tilting the Dating Market? 22:39 How the Pill Changed Female Sexual Choice 32:01 Inside Chris’ Time as a Romance Novel Model 33:27 How Modern Environments Disrupt Our Hormones 37:05 Porn’s Devastating Impact on Men 46:42 How Porn is Impacting Women 51:38 Is Porn Making Sex More Aggressive? 01:08:25 How Social Media is Rewriting Sexual Norms 01:14:10 The Beauty Standards Porn is Creating 01:25:04 Is Looksmaxxing Backfiring? 01:29:11 Is Sexlessness Destroying Marriages? 01:38:25 Is the Sex Doll Revolution Coming? 01:45:52 Why We’re Struggling to Connect 01:47:48 Are We Self-Selecting Out of Reproduction? 02:01:50 Can the Sex Recession Be Reversed? 02:05:36 Where to Find Debra - Get a Free Sample Pack of LMNT’s most popular flavours with your first purchase at https://drinklmnt.com/modernwisdom Get 35% off your first subscription on the best supplements from Momentous at https://livemomentous.com/modernwisdom Get a free bottle of D3K2, an AG1 Welcome Kit, and more when you first subscribe at https://ag1.info/modernwisdom New pricing since recording: Function is now just $365, plus get $25 off at https://functionhealth.com/modernwisdom - Get access to every episode 10 hours before YouTube by subscribing for free on Spotify - https://spoti.fi/2LSimPn or Apple Podcasts - https://apple.co/2MNqIgw Get my free Reading List of 100 life-changing books here - https://chriswillx.com/books/ Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic here - https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom - Get in touch in the comments below or head to... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact/

Chris WilliamsonhostDr. Debra Sohguest

Mar 16, 20262h 6mWatch on YouTube ↗

EPISODE INFO

Released: March 16, 2026
Duration: 2h 6m
Channel: Modern Wisdom
Watch on YouTube: ▶ Open ↗

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

Dr Debra Soh is a neuroscientist, sex researcher, political commentator, and author. Why are we more connected than ever—but having less sex? Technology promised endless connection, but many people feel more isolated than ever. With sexlessness increasing, what’s causing the modern “sex recession,” and what can be done about it? Expect to learn if people having less sex is a big deal or not, what the current state of modern sexual activity is, when the sex recession started and if rising hypergamy was a factor, if the role of porn attributed to the sex recession and the shocking new neuroscience of porn use, why looksmaxxing and plastic surgery are on the rise, the role social media and smartphones had in growing sexlessness, what can be done top-down to fix the sex recession and much more… - 0:00 Is Sex Really On the Decline? 4:13 When Did the Sex Recession Start? 7:24 Why is Hypergamy Shifting? 16:26 Is Hypergamy Tilting the Dating Market? 22:39 How the Pill Changed Female Sexual Choice 32:01 Inside Chris’ Time as a Romance Novel Model 33:27 How Modern Environments Disrupt Our Hormones 37:05 Porn’s Devastating Impact on Men 46:42 How Porn is Impacting Women 51:38 Is Porn Making Sex More Aggressive? 01:08:25 How Social Media is Rewriting Sexual Norms 01:14:10 The Beauty Standards Porn is Creating 01:25:04 Is Looksmaxxing Backfiring? 01:29:11 Is Sexlessness Destroying Marriages? 01:38:25 Is the Sex Doll Revolution Coming? 01:45:52 Why We’re Struggling to Connect 01:47:48 Are We Self-Selecting Out of Reproduction? 02:01:50 Can the Sex Recession Be Reversed? 02:05:36 Where to Find Debra - Get a Free Sample Pack of LMNT’s most popular flavours with your first purchase at https://drinklmnt.com/modernwisdom Get 35% off your first subscription on the best supplements from Momentous at https://livemomentous.com/modernwisdom Get a free bottle of D3K2, an AG1 Welcome Kit, and more when you first subscribe at https://ag1.info/modernwisdom New pricing since recording: Function is now just $365, plus get $25 off at https://functionhealth.com/modernwisdom - Get access to every episode 10 hours before YouTube by subscribing for free on Spotify - https://spoti.fi/2LSimPn or Apple Podcasts - https://apple.co/2MNqIgw Get my free Reading List of 100 life-changing books here - https://chriswillx.com/books/ Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic here - https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom - Get in touch in the comments below or head to... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact/

SPEAKERS

Chris Williamson
host
Podcast host of Modern Wisdom known for long-form interviews on culture, psychology, and self-improvement.
Dr. Debra Soh
guest
Sex researcher and author focused on sexuality, mating psychology, and related cultural trends.

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Modern Wisdom, featuring Chris Williamson and Dr. Debra Soh, Why Nobody is Having Sex Anymore (& why it matters) - Dr Debra Soh explores sex recession: technology, shifting markets, and intimacy’s new constraints worldwide Multiple datasets show a broad decline in sexual activity—partnered and solo—especially among young people, with roughly one in three men and one in five women reporting no sex in the past year.

RELATED EPISODES