The End of Eros? Gen Z’s Disconnection from Sex and What It Means for Our Culture

Gregg Araki’s latest film, “I Want Your Sex,” is a provocative exploration of Gen Z’s increasingly ambivalent relationship with sex. The director notes that it puzzles him: why don’t young people have sex anymore? This question gets to the heart of a broader cultural shift, one that has significant implications for our understanding of identity, intimacy, and human experience.

Araki’s film is a comedy, but its themes are dead serious. It follows Olivia Wilde’s character, an artist who initiates a BDSM relationship with her young assistant (played by Cooper Hoffman), leading to near-death consequences. However, the real story here isn’t about sex itself – it’s about how Gen Z approaches intimacy, relationships, and technology.

As a pioneer of the New Queer Cinema movement in the 1990s, Araki has always pushed boundaries and challenged social norms through his work. His characters are often queer, nonconformist, and unapologetically themselves. But looking out at the current generation, he’s struck by their disconnection from sex.

This isn’t just about sex; it’s about how we experience intimacy, vulnerability, and connection in our increasingly virtual lives. Araki notes that Gen Z has grown up with technology constantly surveilling them, making even private moments feel public and performative. It’s no wonder they’re hesitant to engage with something as messy and unpredictable as sex.

The impact of this disconnection on relationships, identity formation, and politics is significant. If young people are disengaging from sex, what does that mean for our culture? Araki’s film suggests we’re losing something essential to the human experience: a willingness to take risks, be vulnerable, and explore the unknown.

Older generations are also struggling with intimacy and connection in the digital age. We’re all feeling the effects of this cultural shift, whether through our own relationships or how we consume media. As “I Want Your Sex” premieres at OutfestNEXT, it’s a timely reminder that the rules of cinema have indeed changed.

Independent filmmakers like Araki are pushing boundaries and experimenting with new forms of storytelling, but they’re also grappling with the same cultural currents as everyone else. What does the future hold for sex in our culture? Will we see a return to more traditional notions of intimacy and relationships, or will we continue to navigate this uncharted territory?

Araki’s film offers a provocative glimpse into a world where sex is no longer the default – but it’s not necessarily a rejection of eros itself. “That’s fucking life! That’s growing up! That’s how you learn about yourself,” he says in his own words. But what if that’s exactly the problem? What if our culture has become so afraid of intimacy, vulnerability, and uncertainty that we’re abandoning the very things that make us human?

“I Want Your Sex” may be a comedy, but it’s also a warning. It reminds us that our cultural shift away from sex is not just about Gen Z – it’s about all of us. As we navigate this brave new world, one thing is clear: we need to start talking about what it means to be alive, to love, and to connect in a way that’s authentic and true to ourselves.

For Araki, that’s the greatest challenge of all.