In Chapter 2 of Cheap Sex, Regenerus discusses Cheap Sex and how it has increased exponentially over recent years. With the invention of various contraceptives and a generally more lenient attitude towards sex, it is happening much more in society with far fewer consequences. Over the past several decades, the stigmas associated with cheap sex have decreased exponentially. No longer is the act seen as an extreme act of commitment, but rather it can be had more casually and not necessarily with any true forms of attachment. No longer is the primary use of sex for conceiving children, but rather contraceptives have allowed for decreased pregnancy risk and an increase in acts strictly for pleasure. These factors combined have all led to an increase in casual sexual encounters.
In recent years, this heightened sexual nature has been taken even a step further with the young generation. With the existence of apps solely designed to result in quick dates, many more first meetings are resulting in sexual encounters with today’s youth. Regenerus does not necessarily take a stance on whether this is a positive or negative change, but rather just states that the nature of casual sexual interactions has significantly heightened. This has a variety of implications like causing gender roles to be altered. Men, with traditionally high sexual appetites, are looking to have more sex, whereas women have more access to the act, allowing them to be more selecting in their choice of partners. Additionally, people on average have far more sexual partners in their lifetimes than others because the commitment requires much less dedication than it has in the past. Today, most relationships, particularly those in college and young environments, begin with sexual encounters and result in more deep commitments. Just a few decades ago, this stereotype was completely flipped and most sexual encounters only came after extensive dating and sometimes not even until marriage. Overall, Regenerus is suggesting that sex as a whole is seen as less binding and more acceptable in today’s society.
2 replies on “Cheap Sex Ch2 ERA”
You do a good job summarizing this chapter as well as the role of sex in our society today. Furthermore, how sex has changed over the years and is now viewed differently than before, as some of the causes can be due to technology. Some may argue that this is better or worse for society, as there are certainly both positives and negatives that come with this. With these changes in mind, how will it affect relationships looking into the future? More specifically, will it hurt long term relationships or even marriages?
Russell your questions to this chapter is the main thing I have been thinking about reading this book. If technology and pornography have taken relationships to be less meaningful and easier to access to sex, then what will it be like for our children? Will relationships be diminished as a whole? Sex in society today is through apps, websites that allow it to be quick and easy. The result in todays society, will either allow for the future to worsen with technology and sex or society may go back to the olden days where sex is “more expensive.”