For Gen Z, Making Out Is Hotter Than Sex

When you think about the order of the classic hook-up and baseball metaphor — first base being a kiss, second base being hand stuff, you get the point — you might not think making out would be hotter or more intimate than hitting a proverbial home run. But according to many people on TikTok, a smooch really is steamier than going all the way.

In a viral video posted Oct. 7, creator @disturbedbigsis said, “Bring back dry humping 2025!” while talking about how actual sex is rarely as good as a passionate kiss. “Like, why do we have to go from making out to having sex? Can we dry hump with clothes on at least three times first, please?”

The TikTok now has 350,000 likes and over 1,700 comments. “Finally, someone said it,” one person wrote in response. Another said, “queen, you are so right” while another said, “It’s the tension it creates, I swear!”

For many, a passionate makeout sesh is a very important part of the lead-up to sex, like any other foreplay that gets you in the mood. For others, it’s the main event — and that seems to be an increasingly common POV. Below, a dating expert weighs in on making out, what makes it so hot, and why Gen Z might be its biggest fan.

Why Is Making Out So Hot?

When you break down the steam factor of a movie-worthy kiss, it makes sense why making out could be the hottest option on the hookup menu. First of all, you’re literally face-to-face with your partner, which immediately ups the intensity, and it also involves a lot of gripping, breathing, and, um, dry humping — three things that don’t sound that hot but are.

That closeness is key. “You can't hide [...] if you want to kiss someone,” says Leigh Norén, a sex therapist and coach. “Kissing involves our mouths and tongues, which contain a lot of nerve endings, and it's pretty intimate to stroke someone's tongue with your own.”

There’s often a lot of feelings and emotion in a kiss, too. Makeouts are riddled with a sense of desire, and what could be hotter than being wanted? Of course, there’s also the fact a makeout holds the potential to lead to something more — which can be half the appeal. “Sexual anticipation can sometimes be better than having sex at all, because it's that intense sexual chemistry that's compounding, without ever having a release,” says Norén. “It's all about ‘where will this go?’ as opposed to satisfying the itch right away.”

Why Making Out Is Gen Z’s Go-To

Making out can increase your heart rate and is also a good alternative to hooking up, which millennials and Gen Zers are less interested in than previous generations. Several researchers believe sex isn’t seen as a big milestone the way it once was, the same way buying a house or getting married is no longer a major goal for some young people. There’s a noticeable rise in abstinence due in part to lack of access to reproductive healthcare, and there’s also a broader definition of what constitutes “sex,” says Norén, pointing to sexting as an example.

“[Thanks to technology,] you don't need to go out and have sex with someone to experience sexual connection, nor do you need to pass the time with sex because of boredom,” she says. It might explain why Gen Z folks no longer have the strong urge to throw themselves on a bed and “go all the way.” Instead, a sexy makeout could be more than enough.

Source:

Leigh Norén, sex therapist and coach