A third of Gen Z admit to texting during sex

Or checking social media!
 By 
Anna Iovine
 on 
man checking phone in bed next to woman
Credit: WANDER WOMEN COLLECTIVE / DigitalVision via Getty Images

You've heard of sexting, but what about actually texting while in the middle of the act? It's apparently not so uncommon for young adults: 35 percent of Gen Z adults have admitted to texting or checking social media during sex, according to a survey of 100,000 students from the anonymous college app Yik Yak. (Twenty-four students actually said they've picked up Mom's call while in bed, too.)

The statistic comes at a time when more people are talking about addictive behavior on social media sites, combined with how Gen Z is having less sex than their older counterparts did when they were younger. It's undeniable that the internet impacts Gen Z's lives — even their sex lives — when 81 percent use social media every day, and half say they spend more than three hours on it per day.

As Mashable reported last year, the internet shaped Gen Z's relationship to sex, in some more positive ways (such as the ability to see sex education materials if they weren't taught it in school or at home), and others more negative, such as anxiety about the way they're perceived.


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Now, as it turns out, connectivity literally impacts a third of Gen Z while having sex. They can't seem to stay present, though if you're interested in being more mindful during sex, Mashable has a story for you.

The survey also found that 23 percent of Gen Z said they had sex while their roommate was in the room, and eight percent didn't care that their roommate was wide awake.

anna iovine, a white woman with curly chin-length brown hair, smiles at the camera
Anna Iovine
Associate Editor, Features

Anna Iovine is the associate editor of features at Mashable. Previously, as the sex and relationships reporter, she covered topics ranging from dating apps to pelvic pain. Before Mashable, Anna was a social editor at VICE and freelanced for publications such as Slate and the Columbia Journalism Review. Follow her on Bluesky.

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