I was shocked too: research shows that the practice of strangulation is a new trend among Generation Z. Young women still think they have to “please a man in bed.” Those over 40 remember what the experience of watching a porn film was like in bed. Basically, it was a once-in-a-lifetime event when a friend picked up a VHS tape (for the older ones) or a porn DVD. The group gathered and, secretly from their parents, observed that “secret” thing.
What we women saw on low-resolution screens wasn’t exactly encouraging, because in the vast majority of porn films, the sex shown was (and still is) focused on male pleasure.
For generation Z, who grew up with the internet accessible to all, things are different, but not that much. Accessing the videos is a breeze: just Google it (who hasn’t?). But something still hasn’t changed: the sex shown is, by and large, one that prioritizes male pleasure – if most men actually enjoy that kind of acrobatic sex, which I doubt.
But in these videos all the women seem to enjoy uncomfortable sexual positions, being slapped and, surprisingly, “being strangled” during sex.
Yes, I was scared too. But research shows that the practice of strangulation is increasingly common among young people, causing concern among sexuality experts and doctors, as this practice requires a lot of attention to be safe. And, without treatment, it can even kill.
Rough sex is in fashion
Choking (strangulation) is already seen as a sexual trend among young people (which seems strange to me, given that sex should not be a fad). But researchers prove it. An Indiana University survey conducted in 2022 concluded that 58% of female college students surveyed had already been strangled during sex. The same research concluded that some of these women did it to please guys.
According to an opinion piece published in the New York Times, research conducted over the past four years by Professor Deby Herbenick, of the same university, shows “the rapid increase in violent sex among college students”, especially involving the practice of sexual strangulation.
According to the newspaper, almost two-thirds of women interviewed in the researcher’s latest survey, which involved 5,000 students at a large university, said they had already been strangled by their partner during sexual intercourse. Even more disconcerting: among girls between 12 and 17 the number reaches one in four interviewed.
Of course, I’m not saying that responsible adults aren’t free to practice their fetishes with consent. Everyone likes something, and as long as they respect their partner, everything is fine. However, it’s not okay to think that you “need” to do something involuntarily during sex to avoid losing the guy, or because “everyone does it,” or to “not seem awkward.”
I really doubt that one in four girls likes being strangled. They are starting their sex life, something that in itself is not an easy process for women, and now it may have become even more traumatic.
In other words, times change, feminism advances, but women still feel forced to do things they don’t like in bed to “please men”, just as happened in the 1990s and 2000s, when magazines appeared on their covers , without embarrassment, titles like Ten Tips to Please Your Man in Bed and so on.
I also feel sorry for the kids, obviously. They learn from pornography that they have to be “tireless”, “get hard” and other expressions that should have remained in the past along with VHS tapes.
No, the sex in porn videos is not real life. They are made by actors who follow stereotyped scripts that have little to do with reality (no, you don’t have to have sex in five different positions). In real life things are much simpler (or should be).
Boys and girls need to understand once and for all that the best way to have sex is not by following what you see in the movies. And, of course, it bears repeating that we should not subject ourselves to any sexual practice if we do not feel like it. Also, of course, your partner’s consent (or not) is sovereign.
And there are those who think that sex education has no importance or is for those who want to “destroy the family”. That’s not it. This type of “trend” simply makes it clear that sex education is a public health issue. It’s urgent.
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Nina Lemos is a journalist and writer. She has been writing about feminism and behavior since the 2000s, when she launched the group “02 Neuron” with two friends. You were a columnist for Folha de S.Paulo and UOL. She is one of the creators of TPM magazine. In 2015 she moved to Berlin, a city she fell madly in love with. Since then she has lived between Brazilian news and German lessons.
The text reflects the opinion of the author, not necessarily that of DW.
Source: Terra
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