You really want good sex rather than romance to make your relationship work if you’re a member of Generation X in the United States.
While that’s the conclusion of a survey of Gen X, that same survey found the younger generation, commonly referred to as “Millenials,” aren’t as fixated on sex as their older compatriots.
Generation X is often thought to include post-Baby Boomers who were born starting in the early to mid 1960s to the late 1970s or early 1980s. Millenials were born between about 1982 and 2002.
In a survey by Viacom made public this week, one of the nation’s largest TV companies, researchers found that 45 percent of Gen X members named good sex as the most important concern for a long-term relationship. Friendship was second at 40 percent and romance was thierd at 39 percent.
Millenials, however, cited “friendship” first at 58 percent, then “romance” at 40 percent and finally good sex at 30 percent.
The study was unique, according to one Viacom official, because Gen X had been studied extensively when young, but not so much recently.
“In the process of setting out to uncover what the ‘slacker generation’ is up to now, we realized that the last time this generation was even really explored was in their youth so we didn’t have much information before our study,” said Christian Kurz, senior vice president, Global Consumer Insights, Viacom. “Notably, we found that there are many more commonalities between the U.S. and the rest of the world than there are differences. This is a pattern that generally holds true when looking at the well-studied Millennials — the first truly global generation — but we were surprised to also find this with Gen X’ers who grew up under dramatically different circumstances around the world.”
Among the findings of the Viacom study comparing Gen X with Millenials in the United States and internationally:
— When asked what is most important in a good long-term relationship, American Gen X chose good sex first (45%), then friendship (40%) and romance (39%), while Millennials chose friendship (58%) over romance (40%) and good sex (30%.)
— Outside the US, the order was the same but the percentages skewed differently from the US: Gen X chose good sex (43%), friendship (36%), romance (32%), and Millennials chose friendship (40%), romance (38%), good sex (37%.)
— Outside the US, Gen X is 20percent less likely than Millennials to “feel lonely,” but in the U.S. Gen X is only 7 percent less likely than Millennials to feel lonely.
— Overall, both Gen X and Millennials feel lonelier than their counterparts overseas. In the U.S., 52 percent of Gen X agree they “feel lonely” while 56 percent f Millennials agree with that statement; abroad, 42 perecent of Gen X and 53 percent of Millennials “feel lonely.”
— While some in Gen Xmay feel lonely, they seem content with themselves. In the U.S., 86 percent of Gen X and 85 percent of Millennials say they feel comfortable with who they are. Similarly, outside the U.S., 85 percent of Gen X and 80 percent of Millennials feel that way.
— In the U.S., there still seems to be more of a struggle with work and life. Non-U.S. Gen X and Millennials favor work-life balance over success at work in greater numbers than their U.S. counterparts.
— In the US, 72 percent of Gen X and 69 percent of Millennials agree with the statement that “work-life balance matters more than success and recognition at work,” but outside the U.S. 83 percent of Gen X and 77 percent of Millennials agree with that statement.
Viacom researchers communicated with more than 12,000 adults in 21 countries by online questionnaire.