The Hookup Culture: Is It For You?

According to researches, many young men and women affirmed that hookups and one-night stands increased their confidence in themselves and gave them a sense of high self-esteem. In fact, to many people experiencing casual sex, hooking up is associated with a boost in well-being.

However, hookups go hand-in-hand with depression and anxiety, and low levels of general life-satisfaction.

Self-esteem issues, depression, and anxiety push people to engage in sexual encounters so they can feel good about themselves (to feel that they are wanted and desired for example). Yet, Hooking up is a temporary fix to a permanent problem. In fact, it is only causing more damage to their well-being.

Furthermore, hookups play around the physical and disregard any emotional bound or feel. So, it may temporarily relieve one’s worries but it won't do good for so long.

Many studies confirmed that engaging in hookups can increase the risk of dealing with negative psychological consequences.

Now we can see that even technology is encouraging casual sex. A lot of "hookup apps" are now widely available for use (Such as Tinder, Blendr, Grindr..)

Yet, many don't realize that hookups are mostly regrettable experiences. Many young adults answering surveys have claimed that they felt regretful- even shameful and guilty- after the act.

According to observations led by researchers, many sexual encounters happen in drunken states, or with a motive of seeking revenge on an ex, or under the pretext of sexual exploration- which are all unhealthy bases.

Moreover, Considering that one-night stands are common between college students being introduced to a new phase of their life where they are living on their own and experiencing new life-situations and behaviors, It's arguable that casual sex interferes with one's identity development, and cause stress-related illnesses in early ages.

Casual sex can cause (or deepen existing) damages to one's self-esteem and results in a serious psychological distress.

Being involved in casual sex leave no room for real intimacy and emotional bonds.

As human as we are, we're constantly looking for intimacy and emotional connection. And sexual encounters certainly carry a negative impact to our relationships as we're biologically designed to seek monogamous bonds.

It leads to or deepen emotional voids and numbness. It creates a feeling of loneliness and self-doubt as if one's good enough- the thing that can influence negatively any future serious encounters.

Many people who experience casual sex suffered/suffers from commitment issues. They would find it hard to commit to a single person, or they may be chasing people that aren't willing to commit. In most cases, they experience it both ways.

Due to anxious styles of attachment, others tend to quickly attach emotionally to anyone with whom they had a physically intimate experience, which is daunting to their romantic life, causing them to go in a vortex of chasing not the right person for them.

People who are by nature or were raised sexually conservative, all along with people who are faithful to their religious beliefs, casual sex may cause them to experience shame, guilt, and depression, doubts their faith, and have feelings of dishonor to their religion, parents, or social circle.

Casual sex is heavily present everywhere in the media, particularly and outrageously exploding in Hollywood mainstream movies where the visualization of uncommitted sex tales is very common.

What mainstream movies are rooting is that hookups have clearly replaced traditional dating, and there is no need for the primary means of developing intimate relationships.

What is exceptionally disturbing is that the sexual content is not only limited to R-rated films. Even G, PG, PG-13 rated movies are featuring sexual situations.

Researchers made it clear that children and adolescents that watch movies with sexual content develop a tendency of having more casual sexual partners and engage in multiple sexual practices.

The enjoyment of casual sex may be short-term beneficial. Yet, it is never built upon strong, moral fundamentals. Hence, many suffer from its consequences and damages at both individual and collective levels.