THE INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL

DETRIMENTAL IMPACTS OF THE

HOOKUP CULTURE, IN
RELATION TO THE PERSONALIST
PERSPECTIVE
Nicole Majewski

MAY 10, 2018

LORAS COLLEGE
Christian Sexual Morality
 Majewski 1

It seems as if the days of men opening up a woman’s car door for her or a young man

asking a woman out on a romantic date are coming to an end. The culture regarding intimate

relationships has taken a drastic change over the past decade. The new culture, “The Hookup

Culture,” is on a steady incline, especially across college campuses and among millennials. This

culture is open to things such as frequent casual sex, and multiple sexual partners, and requires

no attachment or commitment issues. Although a “hookup” within this culture is a very brief act,

the effects of the Hookup Culture leave young adults with long lasting negative results.

Specifically from the personalist perspective, based on research and evidence, the hookup culture

is morally problematic. The Hookup Culture is detrimental to those who are partaking in it

because it is bad for persons as it is leaving harsh effects on one’s internal and external self.

It may be hard for young adults to answer the question, “Have you partaken in the

Hookup Culture?” The reason is, “college students are confused about what it means to hook

up.”1 Hookups can mean anything from kissing or making out to ultimately engaging in vaginal

sex. Hookups are very vague, yet there are certain criteria that constitutes what a hookup should

look like. A hookup is usually, “any sort of sexual intimacy, it is usually only for a short period

of time, and it is purely physical in nature.”2 So although a hookup usually consists of the same

characteristics, in the moment it is hard for individuals to know what counts as a hookup.

1
"New book aims to clear up 'hookup culture' confusion." Women's Health Weekly, January 29, 2015, 164.
Global Issues in Context (accessed March 1, 2018).
http://ezproxy.loras.edu/login?url=http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A405308395/GIC?u=lorascoll&xid=d6ef3239

2
Freitas, Donna. The end of sex: how hookup culture is leaving a generation unhappy, sexually unfulfilled,
and confused about intimacy. New York: Basic Books, 2013, 25.
 Majewski 2

Personalists are likely to believe that the Hookup Culture is bad for those who partake in

it, because it is bad for people and those who engage in such behavior. “Personalists regard

personhood as the fundamental notion, as that which gives meaning to all of reality and

constitutes its supreme value.”3 This is a valid method of ethics. Personalists put the human-self

first as they believe it holds the highest value. This method condones anything that puts ones

actual self in harm’s way as personalists hold human life at its highest value. Therefore, putting

personhood as absolute seems like a positive method of ethics.

As previously mentioned, the Hookup Culture directly impacts one’s self. Personalists

would argue that the Hookup Culture is problematic as there are several reasons why the culture

is bad for persons. The reasons that it is bad include, it harms ones internal self and it is also

harmful to their external environment. One’s internal self is harmed by a hookup as their mental

health, emotional stability, physical self and wellbeing is directly affected. The Hookup Culture

is also detrimental to one’s external environment such as in their other relationships besides with

oneself, and also in relation to one’s social experiences while in the college atmosphere.

To enumerate the personalists view, Donna Freitas’ novel, The End of Sex, touches on a

lot of the ways the Hookup Culture affects young individuals directly. For example, Freitas

mentions that “Hooking up is a numbers game for college men.”4 Men within the hookup

culture brag about the amount of hookups they have encountered. In fact, it seems as if the

“more vulgar”5 the hookup is, the more likely it is that the man will be liked among his peers.

3
Williams, Thomas D. and Bengtsson, Jan Olof, "Personalism", The Stanford Encyclopedia of
Philosophy (Summer 2016 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL =
<https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2016/entries/personalism/>.

4
Freitas, 107.
5
Ibid, 33.
 Majewski 3

With this being said, females that take part in hookups feel degraded. Women within this culture

are being left feeling lonely and used for a physical act. These feelings take a toll on one’s

mental health. Women are supposed to move on after a hookup, as no emotions are meant to be

shared. Teaching young adults to feel emotionless when completing such a passionate act can be

hard on oneself. Intimate relationships should be filled with passion, emotions and respect for

the other person. However, young adults are getting involved in relationships that lack all of the

above. Forcing individuals to be shameful of their emotions after sex could lead young adults to

always feeling shameful for expressing or feeling emotions. The Hookup Culture is harming

young adult’s mental health which means it is bad for persons, just as the personalist theory

would say.

“Hooking up is a term commonly used in contemporary American society to refer to

sexual activity between two people who are not in a committed relationship.”6 The hookup

culture is damaging because if either party of a hookup wants more than sex, they are seen as

violating the Hookup Cultures rules. Women and men take part in this culture because it is the

norm, “even if you don’t like the rules.”7 With that being said, college students are left feeling

alone, used, not good enough, and resort to self-blame after a hookup. Therefore, young adult’s

mental health is being harmed because of this culture. Since the Hookup Culture is bad for

individuals and their mental health, the personalist perspective supports how detrimental this

6
Currier, Danielle M. "Strategic Ambiguity: Protecting Emphasized Femininity and Hegemonic
Masculinity in the Hookup Culture." Gender and Society 27, no. 5 (2013): 704-27.
http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.loras.edu/stable/43669824.

7
Freitas, 61.
 Majewski 4

culture is for those in it. The Hookup Culture is not using one’s body for good use or valuing

oneself which is in violation of the personalist’s theory.

Along with mental health and one’s internal environment, the Hookup Culture is harmful

to one’s emotional stability. For example, it is often that women feel emotionally attached to

someone after they have had sex with them. However, the culture condemns either parties of a

hookup from feeling any sort of emotion or commitment. Therefore, it is bad when a woman or

even a man starts to feel a connection or any sort of feelings towards someone they have hooked

up with. The Hookup Culture plays with ones emotions and leaves one “emotionally

vulnerable”8. Young adults are forced to feel nothing when they engage in this culture. Trying

to suppress ones feelings and emotions can be detrimental to how one goes about an intimate

relationship. Therefore, the Hookup Culture is harming ones emotional stability and how they

will go about future relationships. This relates to the personalist perspective in the sense that

since it is harmful for people and their emotional stability, the Hookup Culture is morally

problematic.

To go along with one’s internal environment, the Hookup Culture is harmful to one’s

physical self. It is very prevalent that alcohol consumption is very high within college campuses.

Hookups go hand in hand with alcohol. “Talk of the Hookup Culture almost inevitably led to

talk of alcohol and getting drunk.”9 Alcohol can make young adults consent to actions they may

not have if they were sober. Many young adults wake up after a hookup and feel the sense of

“regretted sex.”10 Some drunk hookups can even lead to unsafe sex or even sexual assault. In

8
Lovejoy, Meg C. "Hooking Up as an Individualistic Practice: A Double-Edged Sword for College
Women." Sexuality & Culture 19, no. 3 (2015): 464-92. doi:10.1007/s12119-015-9270-9, 467.
9
Freitas, 41.
10
"New book aims to clear up 'hookup culture' confusion." Women's Health Weekly.
 Majewski 5

fact, when looking back on certain hookups, “not all individuals know what constitutes as sexual

assault.”11 Alcohol is adding another toxic element to the Hookup Culture. “Diminished

judgement and disinhibiting effects of inebriation are linked to an increased risk of hookup

partners engaging in behaviors that they later regret.”12 Inebriation can lead to serious physical

consequences such as pregnancy or sexual transmitted diseases. The Hookup Culture and the

consumption of alcohol is bad for one’s physical self. Since the results are harmful to the human

body, physical consequences of the Hookup Culture relate back to the personalist perspective

within condemning this culture. Hookups are not physically helping oneself which violates the

personalist perspective of putting the human body first.

To summarize, individual’s relationship with oneself is harmed by the Hookup Culture.

The culture is harmful to one’s physical self, but also to their emotional and mental health. This

culture is damaging to those who partake in it. With that being said, it aligns with the personalist

perspective on the culture. The Hookup Culture is not putting personhood as absolute as the

culture is harmful to oneself. Because the Hookup Culture is bad for persons, it is morally bad.

Although it has been noted that one’s internal self is effected by a hookup, the Hookup

Culture effects much more than just one’s personal self. This culture is affecting the way one

makes friends and the relationships formed with others. The Hookup Culture is teaching men

and women that their relationships are all meant to be sexual. It is often that college students are

engaging in hookups with those whom they do not know very well. This leads students to

believe that they cannot be friends with someone of the opposite sex without engaging in sexual

11
"New book aims to clear up 'hookup culture' confusion." Women's Health Weekly.
12
Lovejoy, 467.
 Majewski 6

activity. This pressure also leads students to engage in more hookups, even if one party does not

feel any sort of physical attraction. Even if one is physically attracted to someone, this culture is

telling young adults that they must be sexually active with someone in order to move forward in

their relationship. College students mention that relationships begin, “with hooking up first.”13

Therefore, the Hookup Culture is making it seem as if virginity is a thing to get rid of in order to

start a romantic relationship. This culture is changing the way college student’s act within their

social lives to make friends and form intimate relationships. Just as hookups can be harmful to

one’s internal self, the culture can be harmful to how individuals go about making relationships

with others.

To go along with one’s external environment, the Hookup Culture affects the whole

social environment in itself. Hookups are affecting how young adults are acting and interacting

with their peers. “College years are formative years, and where a student goes to school and how

he or she interacts with peers and faculty directly influence the kind of adult he or she will

become.”14 Therefore, it is important for young adults to engage in positive behavior while in

college. However, as previously mentioned, alcohol plays a large part on college campuses and

within the Hookup Culture itself. The high amount of alcohol that is being consumed by young

adults is making hookups much more likely to happen. Sexual assault is also a worry when one

mixes alcohol with the Hookup Culture. With these concerns on the rise, it makes social

interaction for young adults difficult. Social settings among college campuses are filled with

13
King, Jason Edward. Faith with benefits: hookup culture on Catholic campuses. New York, NY: Oxford
University Press, 2017, 7.

14
Miller, Karen. Student life. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2011.
 Majewski 7

alcohol and little clothes being worn which make hookups more likely to occur. College

students whom are not interested in this lifestyle can then struggle to fit in. Not fitting in with

the majority makes it more difficult for these students to have a positive social life. Therefore,

the Hookup Culture is making it much more difficult for young adults to engage in social

experiences and having them be positive ones. Young adult’s social environment is just as

crucial as having a healthy relationship with oneself. Therefore, because the Hookup Culture is

harmful to one’s social life, the culture is bad for those engaged in it.

All this talk about hookups may make it seem as if young adults have the option to take

part in the Hookup Culture or not. However, most college-aged individuals use this culture as

their form of social interaction. Therefore, people that choose to opt out of the culture are seen

as violating the social norm. This claim supports the fact that most individuals will be exposed

to this culture. Being around this environment of constant sexual activity and high use of alcohol

can have an effect on oneself. When college students hear of their friends engaging in such acts,

they often engage in the same behavior to fit in. College students also engage in this activity

because they think this is what a college social life looks like, not because they actually want to.

“Out of 145 written descriptions of hookup culture, only four students used explicitly positive or

enthusiastic language for it.”15 The majority taking part in this culture, do not necessarily like it.

This culture is harming not only oneself, but their external environment as a whole. Ones

friends, social life and the way they from relationships with others is being harmed by the

Hookup Culture. Once again this relates back to the personalist theory. This culture is volatile

to personhood because it is bad to one’s external environment.

15
King, 6.
 Majewski 8

All in all, it can be noted that the Hookup Culture is shaking up college campuses across

the United States along with challenging certain religious or moral values. Sex is an act that

used to involve a married or serious couple. Sex also is an act that promotes the gift of human

life. However, the Hookup Culture is creating the image that sex should be frequent and a lack

of commitment is needed. Therefore, this culture is not only changing what sex has looked like,

but it also tests moral values. Values such as self-respect or even along the lines of virginity are

being put to the test. Certain religious views also go against the Hookup Culture and the act of

having constant sex that is not procreative. So although the culture may be affecting young

college students, the Hookup Culture is challenging history and religious values. Just as certain

religions believe in uplifting oneself and promote living a healthy life, personalists believe that

“the human person is a primacy.”16 The Hookup Culture is not putting oneself in a safe

environment for one’s internal and external development. Therefore, this new culture on the rise

seems to be causing more problems than it is solving and going against the personalist norms.

When analyzing today’s culture among young adults, it can be noted it has evolved

tremendously over the past decade. The way young adults are forming intimate relationships is

drastically different than a few decades ago. The Hookup Culture is a culture that consists of

constant casual sex and involves no emotions or attachment from either party. This culture may

seem like it takes out the complexity of an intimate relationship, however it is proving to be

detrimental for those who engage in this culture. Hookups are harmful to one’s physical,

emotional and mental self. This culture is also harmful to one’s external relationships and their

social life. Despite not all young adults agreeing with this way of life, it is always hard to go

16
Willibrand, W. Anthony. "Personalism versus Individualism and Collectivism." Books Abroad 13, no. 2
(1939): 152-56. doi:10.2307/40080738.
 Majewski 9

against the majority in any battle. This culture is popular and no one wants to go against the

norm within society. So to conclude, since the Hookup Culture is proving to be bad for people

that engage in it, it aligns with what the personalist perspective would agree on. Personalists

would say this culture is bad because it is bad for people as it is not positively promoting human

growth. This culture is proving to be detrimental to one’s internal and external self when looked

at from a personalist view, therefore this culture is doing more harm rather than good.
 Majewski 10

Bibliography

Currier, Danielle M. "Strategic Ambiguity: Protecting Emphasized Femininity and Hegemonic

Masculinity in the Hookup Culture." Gender and Society 27, no. 5 (2013): 704-27.
http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.loras.edu/stable/43669824.

Freitas, Donna. The End of Sex: How Hookup Culture is Leaving a Generation Unhappy, Sexually
Unfulfilled, and Confused About Intimacy. New York: Basic Books, 2013.

King, Jason Edward. Faith with Benefits: Hookup Culture on Catholic Campuses. New York, NY:
Oxford University Press, 2017.

Lovejoy, Meg C. "Hooking Up as an Individualistic Practice: A Double-Edged Sword for College

Women." Sexuality & Culture 19, no. 3 (2015): 464-92. doi:10.1007/s12119-015-9270-9.

Miller, Karen. Student Life. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2011.

"New Book Aims to Clear Up 'Hookup Culture' Confusion." Women's Health Weekly, January 29,
2015, 164. Global Issues in Context (accessed March 1, 2018).
http://ezproxy.loras.edu/login?url=http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A405308395/GIC?u=loras
coll&xid=d6ef3239.

Williams, Thomas D. and Bengtsson, Jan Olof, "Personalism", The Stanford Encyclopedia of
Philosophy (Summer 2016 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL =
https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2016/entries/personalism/.

Willibrand, W. Anthony. "Personalism versus Individualism and Collectivism." Books Abroad 13, no.
2 (1939): 152-56. doi:10.2307/40080738.