The truth about the Gen Z abstinence fad

MeToo may have fundamentally shifted the way men and women interact, but that hasn’t stopped a musty, old turn of the century relationship manual from making a surprise comeback. In Sherry Argov’s 2001 bestseller Why Men Love Bitches, the journalist offers tips on how to bag a man. Her principal premise is a surprising one: that women should hold off having sex. And a new generation seem to be heeding her advice: the book has been a favourite subject of Gen Z TikTok videos as well as making a reappearance on the Sunday Times bestseller list.

Argov’s book emerged out of the barely recognisable age before online dating, slut shaming and revenge porn. Back then, when we were all a bit less savvy about each other, Argov argued that women needed a good deal of wiliness to go from ‘doormat’ to ‘dream-girl’. 

Ever since the Weinstein scandal broke men have become increasingly wary about approaching women so it’s no surprise that a new generation of young females, when faced with this uncertainty, have decided to take matters into their own hands.