I'm Adeli Mone, and this is the slowdown.

Here's a strange confession.

I've never sent a nude photograph to anyone.

Maybe that makes me a prude, or maybe it ages me a bit, but even in my twenties and even

when I was flirting with my now husband, I couldn't help but see all the horrible consequences

that might come after sending a nude photo.

Where would it eventually end up?

But one thing is for certain, that's not how the younger generation feels.

Again, I might not do it myself, but I can't help but feel a little shiver of excitement

that there is a sexual and physical openness on the rise.

I keep thinking of all the body shaming, the constant need to look perfect, the airbrushed

models, the diet culture, the ways in which my generation was taught to hate their bodies.

We were taught to look at our bodies and point out what was wrong.

But now I see a sort of excellent strutting happening, an awakening of appreciation for

bodies and desire.

I can scroll through Instagram and see any one of my fellow writers dressed in nearly

nothing to honor their book release or their cover reveal.

It feels like a new way of praising the body in a public way.

A casual kind of celebration of identity and self-hood, okay, sure, sure.

I sometimes see folks post thirst traps on social media and immediately the older sister

in me kicks in and wants to shout, cover yourself up, young blood, who's going to take you

seriously now?

...