I’ve read a number of marketing studies on the younger population – the generation called “millennials.” It seems likely they will be interested in the hobby, not because of emotional attachment, but because of poor social skills.
They use technology (mobile, mainly) to communicate and most don’t do very well having face-to-face conversation with real people. It’s hard just to carry on a conversation with some/many them. They don’t even like talking to each other – you can see them in restaurants, pointedly ignoring the people at the table and staring into their mobile devices.
It’s already been observed that they have great difficulty forming what older generations consider “normal” relationships. The combination of poor communication skills and being very narcissistic and self-centered makes it nearly impossible to make a meaningful connection.
So all of this is to say: yeah, those of them that still have an interest in real sex instead of cyber sex (which is just wanking, using a mobile device to watch or read porn) will need to turn to the hobby to be able to engage in physical “intimacy” without any social or personal connection to others.
Whether providers will lower age limits to gain their business or the millennial generation will simply age into the hobby is anyone’s guess. Serving them in any capacity is difficult, because they’re very awkward, can’t be relied upon to do what they say, don’t communicate their needs well, and are quick to publicly complain if everything isn’t absolutely perfect.
My sense is that this kind of behavior is a major reason that providers generally don’t want to deal with clients under thirty – sooner or later the GenX and Boomer clients will exit the market – die off or our plumbing will just quit working. But my guess is that it will take a new generation of provider to be willing to deal with the new generation of customer.
John 4229 -- you hit that one out of the PARK for sure...