It’s bad enough for a society when its citizens don’t settle down and have children. That implies — and, in fact, guarantees — a sort of hopelessness about the future. But just imagine how hopeless a society must be for people to willingly suppress the sexual instinct.

Mother nature created a pretty inexorable urge — if for no other reason than that the survival of humanity is depends on it. (Last time I checked, this is a pretty basic level on Maslow’s hierarchy. And physiological needs aside, think about the psychological and spiritual benefits of individuals having a real-life intimate connections.)

Could there be a connection between what Dr. Helen is documenting here and what’s happening in Japan? Japanese culture and American culture are, of course, worlds apart, but technology has made that world smaller. And, in fact, technology might just be the common denominator.