Sex on the Internet(SL)

Sex on the Internet


Ever since the internet and with it the virtual environments have become easily available to people around the world, cyber sex has been one of the main issues discussed. Especially at the start of the development of virtual communities and virtual worlds everyone was talking about it, users as much as academics.

“For a time, the subject of ‘virtual sex’ was one of the hottest topics of discussion about cyberspace.” (Bell, 2001: 126)

Academics have especially shown a huge interest in the idea of cyber sex and the issue why people do it, what issues come with it and they also looked at the cultural impact this might have; of course we can not forget to mention the moral side of the argument either.
In the real world the saying goes: ‘Sex sells!’. Which is very true, so why should the internet be any different? According to some researchers, porn on the internet is one of the most lucrative businesses available and makes huge amounts of money each year. It never stops as people seem never to loose interest in sex.
The reason why I am bringing this up on my blog is that I found that in SL a lot of things are about sex, and it seems to be a real seller and there seems to be a real interest in it as well.
I also found that sex on Second Life doesn’t seem to be taken too serious in the sense of morality. It is a lot more open and there is a lot more sexual content available and shown that there is in the real world.
In the real world you would never be able to go into a shopping mall and see adverts for sexual items, like toys and so on.
One thing which I found a little bit disturbing is that one can buy themselves a penis! Yes a penis. Obviously in the real world every men is born with one, but here on SL by the looks of it, you have to purchase it, as it doesn’t seem to come with it. Girls on the other hand can also purchase their private parts in the shops around.
I do have to say this I found a little weird but also very funny. Everything comes in different shapes and sizes and if you have the money you can get whatever you like.
If only that would be available to us in the real world, I guess men would love it and loose some of their insecurities about their ‘best friends’
But it doesn’t stop there. A few thing which I came across really made me wonder what this was all about. A girl or women could buy a ‘pearl necklass’ or sperm on other body parts, to wear. There are also a lot of fetish things you can buy yourself, whatever you can sexually imagine and more is available on SL.
It does say: Its your world, Your imagination, but deer there is a lot of sexual content to deal with. That why I guess they created a Second Life only meant for teenagers.
With all these gadgets available to purchase on SL I guess that a lot of people do indulge in sexual activities with their Avatars. As I found islands which are made only for one purpose, to have cyber sex. One can actually make money on SL selling sex which I have read is quiet common. Just like in the real world only this time it is legal.
As far as I am aware there hasn’t been a study yet on how much and how many of the residence of SL have sexual encounters and how they feel about it. I personally think this would be a really interesting study to make.
As David Gauntlett says:
“People of all sexual orientations have used the internet for ‘cybersex’ which involves people telling each other what they are doing to each other (within their shared cyber-imagination) as they fumble their way towards sexual satisfaction.” (Gauntlett 2000: 15) (Bell 2001:127)
Here on SL you not only have your imagination in terms of writing about it and telling each other what you would do to them, but you can watch your Avatar do exactly what you want them to do to the other person. You can do whatever you like and watch them do it. Talking about it on the sideline might add to the kick but its not nessessary as you have the visual to go with it.
I think that a lot of people like doing it and it actually arouses them to anticipate in cybersex. People here can also fulfil their sexual fantasies, which they might not be able to do in real life. Maybe because the way the look, or because they are married and are not able to share their ideas and dreams or maybe they simply haven’t got the guts to do it.
So here this virtual environment gives people the chance to do that. If it is morally right or wrong is not up to me to decide.
I personally felt detached from my Avatar when I tried it and I found it more amusing than anything else. I would never in real life go with a guy without having even talked to him before and have sex with him. That wouldn’t happen, but I guess because it is not real for me and only just a game it doesn’t matter. You are never going to meet the person behind the Avatar and probably never going to see him again either. So it doesn’t matter, its all just a game.
On the other hand some people and I guess mainly men, do find it arousing to watch their Avatars having sex with another resident online. But who knows what is really going on in someones head if you are separated by space and technology. It all happens in the mind and ones imaginations.
Bell quotes Slater who is arguing that:
“Indeed, many of the sexual interactions online are ‘hyperconventional’ fail to ‘produce new sexual configurations’ and are more ‘consumerist than deconstructive’.” (Slater 1998:99-100) (Bell 2001:127)
I wouldn’t day it doesn’t produce new sexual configurations, as more and more people come forward with their sexual fantasies than in real life, as they are protected by the computer screen and can hide behind it. So in many ways, this might be a good thing as it is safe and might help some people to find their own sexuality. They might even be able to ‘come out’ in real life, if they have already done it in SL. It might just give some people a push to change their lives in the way of their sexuality.
But all in all Slater is right by arguing that it is more consumerist than deconstructive. Sex sells and there is no difference to SL and RL, only that in SL one can do it more openly and freely.
In the German article I found the other day it is mentioned that we are only comfortable if the virtual environment such as SL is very similar to the RL, and that only then we feel at home. And sex is one of the things of life, very important to most, so there is no wonder then that that would be copied and enhanced in an virtual environment.

Bell, D. (2001). An Introduction to Cybercultures. Routledge: London and New York.
Bell, D. & Kennedy, B.M. (ed), (2000). The Cybercultures Reader. Routledge: London and New York