Does more education lead to less sex?
Trying to make sense of the sexual “degree divide” in America
UNIVERSITY LIFE in America is often portrayed as an alcohol-fuelled, sexual free-for-all. In “The Sex Lives of College Girls”, a TV show created by Mindy Kaling, a comedian, which just concluded its third season, sexual escapades are as common as beer kegs. In reality, however, the sex lives of American university students are surprisingly tame. In 2024 one in five seniors at Harvard revealed to the Crimson, a student newspaper, that they had never had sex.
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This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline “The old college try”
Culture
February 15th 2025- The secret to the success of “Saturday Night Live”
- Do societies need more, or less, discretion in enforcing rules?
- What explains the enduring appeal of Bridget Jones?
- Faceless influencers are becoming famous online
- How did the Catholic church go so wrong?
- Does more education lead to less sex?
- Six of the best films about love
From the February 15th 2025 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
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British football hooligans are on the offensive once again
Arrests at stadiums have been increasing
Why are pop singers popping up in films?
Ariana Grande and Selena Gomez both appear in Oscar-nominated movies
Han Kang is South Korea’s pride—and its conscience
The Nobel-prizewinning novelist chronicles shameful episodes in the country’s history
The Louvre is hosting its first fashion exhibition
There is more to it than meets the eye
Escapism and fear made “The White Lotus” a pandemic-era hit
Now the show about obnoxious American tourists has become a drag
How did the Catholic church go so wrong?
A little-remembered gathering might have changed everything, a new book argues