In most species, sex begins with minimal fuss when sexual maturity is achieved. Some male mammals have to compete for access to receptive females, a phenomenon that is more pronounced in species where dominant males gain harems, but less pronounced in species that show pair bonding.

I view the increase in celibacy with that in mind, observing these main factors:

1. Fewer men are reaching sexual maturity. They are biologically capable, of course, but they lack the social and emotional maturity required to earn partners. The culprit here is not their parents for not teaching them how to date, but their culture for not teaching them how to act like responsible adults. (See my article, "Why Do Men Pretend to be More Rational Than Women?")

2. Marriage is declining, so its democratizing effect is being lost. Women don't have to settle for the best man they can catch and keep; they can have temporary relationships with the most desirable partners they can attract. Thus men do have to compete, and many of them are too immature, uneducated, and off-putting in their misogynistic attitudes to be attractive to a grown-up woman.

3. Amplifying the effect of #2, the online hook-up culture puts the less desirable men at an even greater disadvantage, as the need to put their charm onto an online profile exposes the fact that they are clueless about what constitutes sexual appeal.

Anyway, thanks for another thought-provoking article.