Meeting someone at a party. Getting stressed out and looking for a release. Being bored with a friend.
Casual sex comes in many forms. What is apparent is that hookups are common for millennials, and they might even replace relationships for many college students, according to an article by CNN.
Alyssa Bennett, a sophomore psychology major, said she sees why casual sex is appealing for college students.
“A lot of people I know don’t have time to get into a relationship, so that body contact with a stranger or a friend holds them over for a while,” she said.
“Personally, I find nothing wrong with having casual sex. If it’s what you need at the time, then you should go out and find someone to distract you from reality for at least a couple minutes. I don’t need an emotional connection or romance; you just need two people willing to get dirty.”
According to the American Psychological Association, between 60 and 80 percent of North American college students have had casual sex.
Even though Bennett Williamson said he doesn’t have hookups, he still supports people who do.
“I’m all for casual sex, I mean I don’t have it, but if you do then get on with it,” the junior fashion design major said.
Dena Mullins, a physiology and health science instructor, said the stigma that women aren’t supposed to enjoy sex still exists. But Sarah Heimann, a senior psychology major, thinks otherwise.
“People may look down on women for doing it, but I know more women who go through men than men who are womanizers,” Heimann said. “It’s normal for people our age. It’s what we do. It’s not going to end.”
People are having the same amount of casual sex now as they were decades ago, such as in the ‘80s, Mullins said. People just talk about it more now.
“I think people are more open today,” she said. “I definitely see that with students talking about topics that people in my generation — and I’m in my 40s — would have never talked about in front of other people.”
The media has a lot of influence on how people view sex today, according to APA. Often, media shows that uncommitted sex can be enjoyable physically and emotionally. APA cites movies like “Hooking Up” and “No Strings Attached” emulating the stereotype.
Though one opinion is that hookups are replacing relationships, some students disagree. Casual sex may be common, but they say it doesn’t completely replace the need and want for relationships.
“Casual sex doesn’t replace dating, but it kind of fills a void that is left without a relationship,” said Dannielle Jarrett, a freshman business major. “For example people ‘talking’ to each other will have sex months before they date. The physical part is there, but the emotional part is still catching up. That’s when they start dating.”
Junior social work major A.J. Owens said both casual sex and relationships take time.
“It takes just as long to find someone to fool around with than to date,” Owens said. “Don’t get me wrong, I think casual sex is fine, but the time still goes into it. But sometimes people don’t have the time to dedicate their time to a relationship.”
Ryan Howe contributed to this story.
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