8 out of 10 US Youngsters are Still Single

NEW YORK, February 13, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

One out of three US youngsters puts getting married and having children in the top 5 of their bucket list (the list of things to do before they die). The search for Mr/Mrs Right occupies top position. But only 1 out of every 5 of those aged 15 to 25 in the US are currently in a relationship. That is why the country, together with Turkey and India, occupy the top 3 positions of countries with the highest number of singles. In India the percentage of singles amongst youngsters is as high as 90%. Both in Russia (58%) and in Germany (62%) there are much fewer singles among the youngsters. For the occasion of Valentine day, InSites Consulting organised a global survey into the behaviour of youngsters as to relationships and sex.

Half of the 15-to-25-year-olds in the US already went on a date without the actual intention of starting a relationship. In Brazil, Germany and Italy, no less than 6 out of every 10 youngsters says they date without being interested in a relationship. Almost 3 out of every 10 US youngsters (aged 15 to 25) have already experienced online dating and about 10% definitely wants to try it in the near future. According to Joeri Van den Bergh, co-founder and Gen Y expert at InSites Consulting, this is an underestimation. "These past few months we have noticed an increase in the popularity of dating apps such as Tinder which allow to find a match rapidly and with little effort, without having to actually surf to a dating website. It goes quicker, is location-linked and is fully equipped to appeal to Millennials, who in the end are known for their efficiency and limited attention value."

First French kiss at the age of 15

An average American teenager is aged 14 years and 11 months at their first French kiss. This means that the US number is not significantly different from the world average. In Brazil youngsters start slightly earlier (around the age of 13) whereas the first real kiss comes later in India (19), China and Turkey (both at the age of 18). On average, a US youngster has about seven different kiss partners between the ages of 15 and 25. This is slightly lower than the world average of eight and therefore quite a bit lower than in countries with more experienced kissers such as Brazil (15), Sweden (15) and the Netherlands (10). There are no differences between boys and girls in the US as far as kissing experiences are concerned. About half the youngsters (53%) have already French-kissed in public, which is comparable with other countries. About 43% already kissed at school or at work and a mere 16% dared kiss in front of the parents.

7 out of 10 youngsters watched porn and 38% already sent a naked picture or video of themselves to someone else

22% of the US youngsters put sex in the top 3 of leisure time activities. Which means it comes 5^th after surfing on the Internet, listening to music, hanging out with friends and gaming. Again there are no differences between boys and girls. The average age for a US youngster to have sex is 16 years and 5 months, which is slightly younger than in the rest of the world. Mainly in Sweden, Germany and the Netherlands, youngsters are sexually active before that: on average around their 16^th birthday. An average of about six sex partners makes the American youth slightly more experienced than the world average many other countries but Sweden and Germany are still in pole position with an average of seven

sex partners. Almost 3 out of 10 (27%) of the 15-to-25-year-olds in the US claims to have a sex experience with more than seven partners and 30% is still a virgin.

"Contrary to what people tend to think, these ages are not that different from previous youth generations", says Joeri Van den Bergh. "Both the first sexual experience age and the time elapsing between the first kiss and the first bed experience - generally about two years - remains constant throughout the generations."

What is new, however, is the making and sending of nude or sex videos or pictures. More than 38% of the 15-to-25-year-olds in the US already sent a nude picture or video of themselves to someone else. Almost 1 out of 4 already made an erotic home video and equally many youngsters used the webcam for a virtual sex session. With no less than 20%, the ratio is still slightly lower in the youngest group (aged 15 to 18). 7 out of every 10 US youngsters have already watched porn, which again is identical to the global average (70%). In Russia (82%), Poland (80%) and Germany (77%) the percentage of porn viewers among youngsters is about twice as high.

3 out of every 10 youngsters already had a one-night stand and 28% already got tested for HIV

6 out of every 10 US 15-to-25-year-olds already had an erotic dream, in which a good friend played a part; for 37% the teacher or boss played the main lead in such a dream. 3 out of 10 youngsters had at least 1 one-night stand and equally many have already cheated on a partner. 28% already got tested for HIV and 1 out of 5 thought at some point to have gotten an STD (sexually transmitted disease). In the US 19% of the 15-to-25-year-old girls already used the morning-after pill at some point, a percentage which is significantly lower than the global average (30%). A mere half of the US youngsters already talked about sex with their parents.

About the survey

The facts and figures in this press release are based on a global survey realised last summer by InSites Consulting among 3,485 respondents aged 15 to 25 (youngsters) in 13 countries: the United States, Brazil, Russia, India, China, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Sweden, Poland, Italy, the Netherlands and Belgium. The sample was representative for each country's younger population.

Joeri Van den Bergh is author of the book How Cool Brands Stay Hot and co-founder of InSites Consulting, a global 'new generation' research agency with offices in the US, the UK, the Netherlands, Romania and Belgium. During his entire career he has focussed on research and marketing for children, teens and young adults. His customers include international brands such as Lego, Nokia, Sony, MTV Networks, Danone, Unilever and Coca-Cola, whom he did research for.

Follow Joeri on Twitter: @Joeri_InSites

SOURCE InSites Consulting