Somewhere between truffle fries and fully loaded fries, we crossed a line. What began as indulgent extras has turned into a full-blown flavour arms race. Carrots arrive drenched in hot honey and chilli. Cabbage is glossed with XO. Potatoes are crushed, confit, fried twice, showered in herbs, spice blends and something crunchy for good measure. Sides aren't padding. They're flavour bombs, competing with starters and mains for attention.
Nearly half of non-Feeld users (42%) said they practice kink, compared to 68% of the app's user base. In some areas, everyday folks were even kinkier than Feeld members: Among those who practice kink, 44% of external respondents said they engage in role play, just above the 41% of Feeld users that said the same.
First of all, let me put your mind at ease. Having this thought does not make you a villain. It makes you a long-term partnered adult with a pulse. Most people don't wake up one morning and think, "Ah yes, swinging - this will clearly solve everything." Curiosity like this usually shows up more quietly. It's often less about wanting other people and more about wanting something back: playfulness, aliveness, the feeling that sex is still a place of discovery.
In New York, sex-positive communities have evolved into something more organized than outsiders tend to imagine. Not just parties, but curated ecosystems built on vetting, trust, and a shared commitment to consent. Alain Rostain, a Yale-trained computer scientist and longtime consultant, spent much of his life drawn to power, structure, and desire. Eventually, he applied the same thinking he used in professional settings to the messiest arena of all: intimacy.
I am a bisexual, 50-year-old woman who enjoys threesomes, including with the most common configuration of a bisexual woman partnered with a straight male. All my past encounters have been amazing-open communication, everyone hot for everyone, natural transitions between constellations of two and three people interacting. However, last night I ended up in bed with a couple, and once we got our clothes off, something happened.
In the past, when we've done these analyses, we've seen couples express an interest in bondage play or sensory play. But this year, we're almost seeing a shift towards getting back to basics. I found it so interesting that regardless of gender, age or where you live, people want more oral sex.
The realm of intimate relationships is wide and diverse, providing endless opportunities to discover joy, pleasure and connection. But exploring new ground without consent from both parties may cause unease, betrayals of confidence and even injury. A good sexual relationship depends on this kind of conversation because it ensures that any exploration is grounded in permission and mutual curiosity, strengthening the connection and enhancing the experience for both parties.
Twenty years ago, a woman sat opposite me on a train and quoted the first line of the book I was reading to me. We talked and talked about books, architecture, family, relationships and haven't stopped since. I assumed I'd never see her again, but she gave me her number and after texting furiously for a week she invited me to stay with her, and our instant intellectual connection became an intense physical one.