Worrying research into young people in bed reveals grim trend
Tying someone up, slapping them on the bottom, or choking them are actions that can normally cause trauma, but can be arousing in a sexual context.
When a group of Australian scientists discovered that more than half of young people occasionally choked each other, they had to swallow hard. And so did we.
Many Australians are descended from serious criminals shipped en masse to the continent by the British in the 18th century. They likely included a number of stranglers. Yet, it's unlikely that this is the cause of the widespread choking among Australian youth. But what is the cause? Manners is eager to find out and is delving into the literature.
Extreme trend among Australian youth between the sheets
In a University of Melbourne study of 4,702 young people aged 18 to 35, more than half reported having experienced being choked or strangled during lovemaking, also known as choking. Fortunately, this always occurred with mutual consent.
Men (61%) are more likely to take the active role than women (40%), while women (61%) are more likely to be choked than men (43%). Trans and gender diverse people seem to have the greatest preference for this kink, with a whopping 74% engaging in this activity.
Reasons for choking's popularity unclear
Scientists aren't sure what exactly causes this unusual hobby. They suspect that internet pornography plays a role, but previous research shows that its influence on our sex lives is often overestimated. Most young people understand that what they see in a porn video doesn't reflect how "normal" people have sex.
Yet, it appears that the majority of young people first encountered choking through internet pornography. Other sources include mainstream films, social media, or conversations with friends. Why such a large proportion of young people engage in this relatively extreme aspect of lovemaking remains difficult to explain. The conclusion is: "The popularity of 'choking' could be due to some kind of cultural mix or a combination of mutually reinforcing factors." In other words: they don't know.
As far as we're concerned: keep it kinky or BDSM.
Of course, we don't offer advice or our opinion on your sexual preference. That's entirely up to you. But we strongly advise against choke sex, at least without fail safes and passwords that allow you to indicate if the actions are going too far.
