Our Top 10 Articles of 2025

As 2025 draws to a close, we are counting down the 10 articles that resonated the most with Family Studies readers. Our top 10 posts of 2025 addressed hot topics like the sex recession, AI relationships, the late Charlie Kirk, and mental heath and the political divide. We hope you enjoy this look back at our most popular articles, and we invite you to join us in 2026 as we continue to explore these issues and more in our mission to strengthen marriage and family life.

Beginning with our tenth most-read post of this year and counting down to number 1, here are the 10 articles with the most pageviews in 2025:

10. "Counterfeit Connections: The Rise of AI Romantic Companions" by Brian J. Willoughby and Jason S. Carroll (Feb. 2025)

Brian J. Willoughby, BYU Professor and Wheatley Institute Fellow, and Jason S. Carroll, Director of Wheatley's Marriage and Family Initiative and a Senior Fellow at IFS, shared findings from their new research on American adults' use of AI relationship techologies. 

9. "What’s Killing Marriage—Unmarriageable Men or Liberal Women?" by Maria Baer and Brad Wilcox (Dec. 2025)

IFS contributor Maria Baer and IFS Senior Fellow Brad Wilcox explored the potential reasons behind women’s declining confidence in marriage, pointing to an often overlooked culprit: Big Tech. 

8. "High-Status Men Are Attracted to Ambitious Women" by Lyman Stone (July 2025)

IFS Senior Fellow Lyman Stone analyzed data from the American Community Survey to show that the stereotype of most men being “turned off” by ambitious women is likely wrong.

7. "New Study Finds Lasting Effects of Divorce on Kids" by Grant Bailey (May 2025)

IFS Research Fellow Grant Bailey reported on new findings that divorce lowers children's future earnings, and increases teen pregnancy and incarceration.

6. "Men and Women With Multiple Sex Partners Are Less Desirable as Long-Term Mates" by Rosemary Hopcroft (Sept. 2025)

Rosemary Hopcroft, Professor Emerita of Sociology at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, discussed an international study that found that the number of previous sexual partners matters for both men and women when it comes to selecting a potential mate.

5. "Five Reasons Porn Is Bad for Your Marriage" by Brian J. Willoughby and Jason S. Carroll (April 2025)

The Wheatley Institute's Brian J. Willoughby and Jason S. Carroll offered five reasons why pornography is harmful to marriage and healthy relationships, according to social science.

4. "Sexless America: Young Adults Are Having Less Sex" by Lyman Stone (Jan. 2025)

Lyman Stone's analysis of National Survey of Family Growth data revealed that sex is declining among young adult men and women in the U.S.—and that a major reason is the decreasing marriage rate.

3. "Why So Blue: Liberal Women Are Less Happy, More Lonely. But Why?" by Grant Bailey and Brad Wilcox (Feb. 2025)

Grant Bailey and Brad Wilcox examined the ideological gap in mental health between liberal and conservative women using new findings from the American Family Survey, and how declining marriage and churchgoing might be playing a role. 

2. "Get Married—Charlie Kirk’s Most Important Advice to Young Men and Women" by Brad Wilcox and Maria Baer (Sept. 2025)

With our second most-read post of 2025, Brad Wilcox and Maria Baer reflected on the late Charlie Kirk's most powerful message for young people, especially young men: get married and have children.

1. "The Sex Recession: The Share of Americans Having Regular Sex Keeps Dropping" by Grant Bailey and Brad Wilcox (Aug. 2025)

In our most popular article of the year, Grant Bailey and Brad Wilcox used GSS data to spotlight the recession that many never saw coming—record lows in the amount of sex, especially among young adults.

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