Sex+on+the+Web

=Introduction=

toc Sex is a part of human nature. Sexually-driven themes are shown throughout all forms of media. It is only natural that sex would be brought into and further explored, expanded and exploited on the World Wide Web. We've all seen the porn ads randomly popping up and the emails asking if we want a larger penis. Participation in sex-related activities on the web is nothing new, and can in fact be quite healthy. You might enjoy writing smut (textual pornography), engaging in cyber sex with your girlfriend away on vacation or posing questions at a sex-oriented community about how to give the best blow job. No matter what the web is used for, sex always seems to creep up, one way or another.// // =Cybersex=

Cybersex is the online equivilent of sex, usually conducted via IM or in chat rooms. Imagination has traditionally been the key to this activity, as sexual acts are described textually by the two (or more) parties in order to gain sexual arousal: this general activity is referered to as cybering. That said, tecnological advances and the proliferation of broadband has lead to more visual cybering practices, such as using a web camera to send digital video to the other party for strip teases, or while naked or masturbating. This is generally called webcaming. This is one important aspect to internet addication disorders as well. Nowadays, both men and women almost equally spend the same amount of time engaging in cybersex related things. Although, it has been shown that women tend to participate in cybersex using IM then males because they focus on emotions and care for that kind of arousal. On the other hand, males prefer pornographic sites and enjoy masturbating to visuals because they prefer visual arousal. This usage has created the internet addiction since men and women frequently go online for this.

=Why do People Engage in Cybersex?=

1. Experimentation 2. Anonymous Identity 3. Lack of attractiveness and physical ability 4. It acts as an “escape”

Advantages
It is very important that CyberSex is conducted between two consentual individuals who are mentally sane. There are many benefits or advantages of CyberSex. First, it gives individuals a chance to experiment. There are lots of individuals who might have fetishes or sexual orientations that might be deemed unsuitable or unnatural by society and certain cultures. In those cases the internet gives the individual the opportunity to experiment and explore these sexual preferrences in a very disceet and safe manner.

In some cases CyberSex is the only alternative to maintain a sexual and intimate relationship. In the case of couple seperate by distance due to factors like jobs, the only alternative for them to experience and maintain a healthy sexual bond is CyberSex. Thus it allows 2 people to act out their intimate fantasies in a safe manner even when they are seperated by distance.

Cybering also allows for experimentation, allowing a person to change their gender for a session, or try out new sexual activities mentally before taking the jump to trying them in real life. This can occur only because of the anonymity afforded on the internet. Cybering has been described as fun and enjoyable entertainment.

Disadvantages
The first thing to note about the above advantages is that they could not be verified scholastically. There are very few (if any) scholarly essays or newspaper articles that deal with cybersex in a positive light. In fact, arguements against cybering abound. In his 1998 article on Cyber Sex, Mills dealt with the downside of experimentation. In his surveys, he found that in many cases those who cybered experimented with such topics as rape and bondage. In talking about their fantasies and expanding their horizons with chat, he found cybering often created a path for people to visualise and acustom themselves mentally, before sometimes trying these actions in real life. This is one thing when the experimentation is with a new sexual position or with someone of the same gender, for instance, but completely another when it involves such dispicable acts as rape and pedophilia. In addition, he found that extended cybering sessions occasionally led to the participants meeting for sexual activity; this included both men and women in marriages and extended relationships. In her [|L.A. Times article] on the subject, Szegedy-Maszak interviewed several sexual deviancy therapists, who both agreed with and extended these notions. She noted that the anonymity of the internet and the general accessibility of pornographic material and sexual chat rooms allow for unhealthy behavior that would otherwise not occur in the participants. The sexual therapists she interviewed felt that the conditions afforded on the internet provided perfect grounds for unhealthy pornographic addiction. There is also the problem of pedophiles on the internet, who often stalk underage girls and boys in chat rooms and on the web. In a recent episode of [|Dateline NBC], several volunteers masqueraded as underage boys and girls and cybered with men online for 3 days. In that time, 50 of these perverts came to a bust house after being lead to believe the kids were staying there alone. Many came with condoms, alcohol, and sexual toys and lubricants. Many when interviewed led the interviewer to believe that they had never gone to have sex with a minor before, and that it had perhaps been an extention of their internet experimentation.

Example
//Josh says: Maya says: Mmm..uh..huh *nods, unbuttoning your pants* Josh says:
 * gropes your breasts, carefully licking your nipple* do you like that?
 * grabs your wrist and shakes head* Uh-uh-uh... wait till your turn... *lets go of your wrist and moves my hand to unbutton your pants, soon slipping a finger inside of you* ur wet...a bit more and maybe i can put it inside...

// =Pornography=

//“You’re the Internet’s #1 non-porno site!”// //“Which makes you ten trillionth overall.”// - Lenny and Carl from The Simpsons talking about Bart’s animated cartoon site

As stated from the quote above pornography has found a home on the web. Countless of pornography sites are put up on the web and many more will appear or continue to expand. Adult websites is perhaps the most popular part of the Internet through search engines and websites. Pornography (commonly short-formed to porn) takes on many forms on the web including images, stories, and products. Since it is easily accessible, anyone including children are able to find it on the net without much trouble.

=Key Factors=

Cooper states that there are three identifiable key factors in the Internet and it's sexual power:

The Internet is always on. A person can always be connected to the World Wide Web. Finding pornography online is relatively easy and simple for anyone to come across. There are numerous sites to choose from with more being made every day. This is because anyone operating on a computer can create their own porn site without much trouble at all. This causes competition with big coproations such as Playboy because these small time sites are so many and can create the look and feel of a professional site. Although Adult sites charge a price, it is easy to find other alternative sources.
 * Access**

The Internet and all its vast resources must come with a price. There is usually a monthly fee involved to pay an Internet service provider at a reasonable price. Because of this, people flock to connect themselves to the Internet. Adult sites also charge customers that come to their site for a monthly fee. But as said in the Access, it is easy to come across free sites or other ways of finding porn.
 * Affordability**

The Internet allows inidividuals to have the ability of masking their identies. They can be any age group or any gender they wish to become. People do not even have to be 'seen' or 'heard' of on the web. People can choose to remain silent. Through this use of masking oneself, people can loosen their inhibitions and gain a sense of freedom. Nobody can judge you because the person online isn't the 'real' you but just another identity even if you act the same. This power is the most influential in spurring the pornography movement online.
 * Anonymity**

=Women and Pornography=

Women have always been predominantly addressed as an object for the male viewers. They were seen as objects for one’s viewing pleasure. Women were seen to be demeaned and portrayed unfairly onscreen. Men viewed women as part of their sexual fantasies and their sexual desires. However, in this modern day and age the roles can be reversed to challenge the traditions of the past.

=Information Seeking=

The Internet was made to share information with one user to another to expand knowledge. This is the same case with the online sex culture. Now, anyone can simply surf on the web for any sex related questions whether for pleasure, curiousity, or for problems to deal with. There is a rise of sex-help sites for people such as [|anneandcatchy.com] that cater to anyone for sexual advice.

=Commercialization=

One could probably argue that sex is one of the cornerstones of society. It's practiced in every way imaginable in every city and every culture, all over the world. It's the driving force behind acts of love and crime, and definately strong enough to drive open our wallets. [|$53 billion dollars] came out of those pocketbooks in 2003 alone. 200 new pornographic sites go up every hour. Complaints about the level of pornography ads on the internet abound, but often missed in these arguements is the fact that webmasters use them because pornography related advertisements raise money where all other types fail. The draw of pornography on the internet seems a vicious circle. Human nature seems to lead to our need for pornography. This in turn leads to a market for pornography, which businessmen are happy to fill. If we are to believe the critics, the internet often causes people to become addicted to sex, trolling for hours through sex sites and over chat engines. This in turn creates a bigger market for sex, propigating the market further.

=Contrasting Views=

Optimistic View
“For individuals and activists who identified with marginalized sexual and/or gender positions, the Internet was embraced as a ‘new space’ for forming community.” (O’Brien 118)

This is the view that sex on the web is a brave and playful new frontier. Sex on the web is an unrestricting and exciting place to be. This view holds the notion that individuals can freely exploit the web to express their sexuality. The web allows people to be anonymous. Because of this, people can take on a different identity including taking an identity of a different gender. A new gender identity leads to the idea that the Internet sex has led to the rise of transgender activism. Becoming a different gender on the web allows exploration and a safe haven for those experimenting in a different sexual manner. These activities are seen as “a therapeutic activity which is highly beneficial for liberated sexual expression on- and – offline” (O’Brien 119).

Negative View
This is the view that sexual activity on the web is potentially dangerous. There is a fear of sexual stalking, sexual recruiting, and a notion of sex addiction. Since the web is anonymous a person can change their identity to be any age or gender they want. This ability of the web allows sexual predators (especially those after children) to have a greater chance of opportunity to meet with those they want by taking on a different identity. Engaging in sexual relationships are also seen as useless and are frowned upon. Some people see sex on the web as a fantasy world when all it is only technology allowing them to communicate with one another. This distortion of reality can result to potential damaging and pathological behaviour.

A middle view?
It is not necessary to belong to either of these extreme views. Everyone deserves to live their life their own way, even on the web. People should be able to express themselves if their own way just as long as it does not harm anyone else.

=Works Cited=

Adams, Mark S., Oye, Jessica, abd Parker, Trent S. 'Sexuality of older adults and the Internet: from sex education to cybersex'. //British Association for Sexual and Relationship Therapy// [online]. Available from: [|http://taylorandfrancis.metapress.com.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/media/5g0nyguyuj061xvrlh87/ contributions/y/r/h/3/yrh3l7vda2weh0r2.pdf] [accessed 24 February 2006].

Balderston, Meredith. (2004). 'Chapter 11: ‘Pornography Online, Lesbian Style', in 2nd ed. Horsley, R., and Gauntlett, D. //Web.Studies//. London: Edward Arnold (Publishers) Limited, pp. 137-145.

Cooper, Al, Daneback, Kristian, and Mansson Sven-Axel. 'An Internet Study of Cybersex Participants' //Archives of Sexual Behavior// [online]. Vol. 34, No. 3. Available from: http://scholarsportal.info.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/pdflinks/06012414195925863.pdf [accessed 25 February 2006].

Mills, Russell. "Cyber: Sexual chat on the Internet." __Journal of Popular Culture__ 32 (1998): 31-47. __ProQuest__. 25 Feb. 2006 <[|2&Fmt=3&clientId=12520&RQT=309&VName=PQD]>.

O’Brien Jodi, and Shapiro, Eve. (2004). 'Chapter 9: ‘Doing’ it on the Web: Emerging Discourses on Internet Sex', in 2nd ed. Horsley, R., and Gauntlett, D. //Web.Studies//. London: Edward Arnold (Publishers) Limited, pp. 114-126.

"Online Pornography." __Connect With Kids Website__. 2006. CWK Network. 25 Feb. 2006 .

Schaik, Katinka van, and Soeters, Karen E. (2006). 'Children's experiences on the internet' //New Library World// [online]. Vol. 127, No. 1220/1221. Available from: [|http://www.emeraldinsight.com.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/Insight/ViewContentServlet?Filename=/] [|published/emeraldfulltextarticle/pdf/0721070103.pdf] [accessed 25 February 2006]

Szegedy-Maszak, Marianne. "Ensnared; Adding 200 sites a day, Internet pornography seduces with never-ending variety -- and creates a new group of sexual addicts." Los Angeles Times 26 Dec. 2005, Home ed., sec. F: 1. __ProQuest__. 25 Feb. 2006 .

"To Catch a Predator." __Dateline NBC__. NBC. 3 Feb. 2006. 25 Feb. 2006 .