Why ‘Netflix And Chill’ Might Actually Be Leading To Less Sex

It’s more like, “Netflix and binge ‘Game of Thrones.'”

Bad news, guys –“Netflix and chill” is slowly turning into “Just Netflix, no chill.” Apparently, we like watching shows and movies more than we like having sex.

Cambridge University statistician David Spiegelhalter found that streaming services like Netflix are the reason we’re having less sex than ever, so don’t even think about inviting that Tinderella over in hopes of watching an episode of Bob’s Burgers and then hooking up. Because you probably won’t.

Spiegelhalter says people choose to spend their time watching movies and shows rather than getting intimate with their partner because the shows are so readily available, all the time. 

“I think it’s the box set, Netflix,” he said at the Hay Festival, “People think, ‘I’m going to watch the entire second season of Game of Thrones.’”

Well yeah, if Khaleesi is doing her sexy dragon thing for another 10 episodes, we’re not really going to pay much attention to the person right next to us, are we?

“It’s generally thought now that this mass of connectivity that we now have, the constant checking of our phones, the amount of entertainment going on all at once, compared with just a few years ago when the TV used to close down at half past ten and there was nothing else to do, has affected the frequency of our sex,” said Spiegelhalter.

And there’s proof, because a survey by The National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles found that sexually active couples between 16 and 64 had sex five times in the last month in 1990, four times in 2000, then three times in 2010. That’s pretty drastic, and it’s still dropping.

“At this rate, by 2030 couples are not going to be having any sex at all, which is a very worrying trend,” Spiegelhalter said. Indeed it is. 

Gee, thanks Netflix. I thought we were friends.

There’s an easy fix for this problem. Using sheer will, turn off what you’re watching and get busy. We know it’s hard to say no to that next episode (and the one after that), but what has to be done, has to be done. You’ll thank us later.