When at college, “students… don’t just encounter the opportunity to hook up, they are also immersed in a culture that endorses and facilitates hookups.” This means, many students view having casual sex as what is expected of them during their college experience.

“Pluralistic Ignorance” occurs when one believes those around them are enjoying casual sex and hooking up more than they actually are. Both men and women are more likely to overestimate the comfort levels of others engaging in sexual encounters, which leads them to act as though they themselves are more comfortable with various sexual behaviors than they truly are. “Note that if everyone is affected by this fallacy, no one will be behaving in accordance with their own beliefs and comfort levels”.

According to various studies, the majority of college students who engaged in casual sex experienced regret afterwards. One of those studies found that men were more likely to feel regret because they felt like they had used someone, while the women felt regret because they felt used.

Hookups often occur without clear communication about emotional or relational expectations, which can lead to confusion, misaligned intentions, and emotional hurt. Boundaries are blurred when engaging in casual sex. One study of 178 college students showed that nearly 80% of reported unwanted sexual encounters occurred during a hookup. This is in part due to blurred boundaries, as well as alcohol or drugs, which also play a large role in hookup culture and blur the lines even further.

Studies consistently show a “pleasure gap” in hookup culture. Men are significantly more likely than women to orgasm during casual sex. This gap narrows in committed relationships, where women report higher rates of sexual satisfaction and pleasure. Researchers suggest this may be due to differences in communication, familiarity, and mutual investment.

Financially desperate women from Thailand were offered jobs as surrogates in Georgia. After arriving in Georgia, their passports were taken from them and they were brought to a compound holding 100 other women. They did not become surrogates, but instead they were forced to undergo monthly egg retrieval procedures. The gang holding them hostage then sold their eggs to wealthy couples, and the desperate Thai women were not allowed to leave unless they could pay a large ransom.