How do you feel about chats, video dating services, and forums? Are you comfortable meeting people on social networks for something more than just discussing political and social news? Let’s not put it that way: have you met on social networks and websites with one simple and unambiguous goal – for sex? And what about “virtual” activities? I understand, it's a sensitive topic, but why don't we figure out how mobile and computer screens and all these realities of the digital world affect our relationships. Have we forgotten how to engage in something besides social networks?
Sex is essentially a process that requires the physical presence of a partner; but with the advent of high-speed internet, webcams, microphones, and high-quality images, the line between physical presence and stimulation of imagination began to blur rapidly. If video chat or conference calls are suitable for discussing business matters and conducting webinars and presentations, then why aren't they suitable for building communication in other, less formal matters? :)
The screen as an addition… to sex
Technology has led to the fact that sex today is viewed not only as a need for humanity but also as a driving force behind internet technologies. An undeniable fact: the porn industry has become a stimulus for new advertising formats, new ways of processing and transmitting graphic and video content, and even influenced the mechanisms for content protection and copyright compliance/infringement – not to mention torrents and ways to protect data transmission channels. Let's add to this the mechanisms for working with virtual and real money and instant payments (which have grown significantly with the development of the virtual "hourly relationship" market). Sexologists and psychologists agree that virtual sex can be used as a tool for psycho-emotional relief and sublimation of fears and tendencies that, without “a million screens,” would lead people to commit many more crimes and offenses.
The thesis is controversial and will find both opponents and supporters. But the accessibility of sexual relationships and contacts with acquaintances and strangers, thanks to the screens of various devices, has become not only a universal evil but also a means of reducing social and emotional sexual tension in society (unfortunately, we cannot say the same about reality in the ex-USSR: here, offenders in uniforms and police attire appear dozens of times more often than abroad, and watching "adult content" on smartphones is unlikely to help them).
The screen as a barrier to full relationships
The screen of a mobile phone or computer creates an illusion of intimacy with someone who is thousands of kilometers away from you. Imagination can complement the picture, but you won't achieve full relationships (even purely physical, not to mention relationships that usually end with the birth of children and the creation of a full family) — you won't achieve full relationships.
Yes, perhaps tomorrow scientists will show us some super headset or glasses that will stimulate areas of the brain and skin receptors, and as a result, the experience of virtual touches, strokes, and kisses will be identical to the real ones, and orgasm will be achieved in an even more technological and effective way. But will this cybersex be a full substitute for relationships (any – long-term or one-night stands, which are not the point here)? How ethical is it to replace your “other half” or sexual partner with a machine and a set of programs, and does this fit into the concept of “normality”?
This post seems to contain more rhetorical and unanswered questions than answers; but I honestly don’t know what our future will be like in conditions where visual experiences and subjective feelings are provided to us by Skype, FaceTime, Google Hangouts, and a whole bunch of video hosting services with "18+" content (or even "21+"). 5, 10, 13 inches – this is now the length of the screen diagonal, not what you thought. Does this mean that the reproductive and hedonistic components of sex are under threat in our digital world? They say this is just the beginning: consider the app for couples Couple, in which to “touch” your partner, you need to touch the screen. And then dolls from the sex shop will be replaced by silicone robots with an embedded set of emotions… Although I genuinely hope it doesn't come to that.
