The Perils of Hookup Culture: A Problem Arising from the College Environment

Reviews the book, American Hookup: The New Culture of Sex on Campus by Lisa Wade (see record 2017-19408-000). Wade presents unbiased accounts of hookup culture, as well as reports on the benefits and drawbacks of casual sex for both men and women in college. Her vivid narrative about college life and culture teaches us about the rituals taking place on campuses and how we can make sense of the culture, and stimulates a discussion about ways to best support our students. Wade has chapters on both opting in and opting out of the hookup culture, and for those who opt out, college life can be very isolating. Students may feel as if they are missing opportunities to socialize and experience authentic college life, as a result of avoiding casual sex and parties. Realizing that there are others out there like them, may help assure those who opt out that the personal choices they made have been made by others as well. This book would be beneficial for students entering college or in college to read, as it lets them know this institutional culture is pervasive across U.S. campuses. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved)