The shocking reason Gen Z youngsters are avoiding sex and intimacy
NEARLY one in ten in Gen Z avoid sex over fears they do not live up to perfect body images on social media, a Sun on Sunday survey found.
Eight per cent of those aged 18 to 24 said snaps — often filtered or enhanced — on platforms such as Instagram made them too ashamed of their body for nookie.
We found that young people from Liverpool are the most reluctant to strip off, with 13 per cent saying their worries stopped them being intimate.
Half in Generation Z said they believe not having a body like a celeb or influencer hit their mental health.
And a third do not regard their face or body as attractive compared to what they see online and feel “ugly” by comparison.
Our survey was conducted by personal trainer course provider OriGym, which asked 2,130 social media users if idealised images had ever stopped them having sex.
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A spokesperson said: “Younger people’s frequent and normalised exposure to social media has had a profound effect on their body image.
“Too many feel they cannot be intimate with someone because of social media standards.”
Filters on some platforms can smooth skin, slim the face, whiten teeth and enlarge or shrink features.