Facebook as Foreplay? Survey Says Social Media Leads to Sex Faster

Jan. 26, 2011— -- Want a pre-date aphrodisiac? Look no further than Facebook.

Men and women say communicating via social networking, instant message and texting leads them to the bedroom faster, according to the latest sex survey from Shape and Men's Fitness magazines.

For the first time, the magazines focused their annual sex survey on coupling in the digital age. They found that 80 percent of women say relationships lead to sex more quickly because it's so easy to stay connected.

Fifty-eight percent of the men surveyed said flirting over Facebook, texts and Gchat helps them get women into the sack sooner.

"It just seems like nowadays, there are so many ways to stay connected," said Marissa Stephenson, a senior associate editor at Shape. Five years ago, couples would have to wait until the next date to re-connect, she said, but now they can flirt over text, Skype, IM and Facebook in between their dates.

Tech-enabled flirting may not be as intimate as the old-fashioned, face-to-face variety, Stephenson said, but, according to the survey, it can apparently still lead to great sex.

The magazines found that 47 percent of those surveyed said their sex lives are "amazing," compared to 21 percent last year.

But Dr. Dorree Lynn, a psychologist and author of "Sex for Grownups," said social media are actually fostering a sense of "faux intimicy" among couples.

Men and women may report amazing sex in the short term, but what happens to those relationships in the long-term?

"It's easier to hop into bed than have a relationship," said Lynn. "It's all a function of the fast-paced world we live in, where communication skills, genuine communication skills, which means face-to-face communication, are quickly going by the wayside."

Digital communication, and the time spent engaged in it, may give couples a sense of intimacy, but she said texting and social media don't teach people how to develope genuine relationships.

"You let your fingers do the walking and you can forget that you need to do the talking," she said.