Nick Brothers
The Free Weekly Managing Editor
It’s no secret that technology and sex go hand in hand. Ever since we’ve had the technology to capture or even create images, there have been sexual images made of people. I think it’s abundantly clear that sex, while variable in levels of social taboo, is something us humans are hardwired to think about often for myriad reasons.
In a lot of ways, technology is an extension of human ability. So naturally, with the recent advancements in technology throughout the past 25 years, the human race has been experiencing big societal changes in sex culture along with it.
I find it that the Internet is basically a technological representation of our present collective consciousness. So, it’s no surprise that sex and dating make up a pretty decent chunk of it, coinciding with our thoughts. Smart phones have become our companions, allowing people access to sexual images and videos on a whim or allow us to connect with our consenting partners through sexting, couples’ apps, video chats and suggestive emoji use.
We’ve got apps like Tinder and OKCupid that allow us to quickly browse through and check out other available adult human beings like they’re at a city-wide event and everyone’s wearing an “About Me” sign. I won’t go as far as to say it’s a marketplace, because no one’s “shopping.” People are just doing what people already do — “yes” or “no” — in public through those apps.
Better yet, let’s say a person knows exactly what they want in a person. Odds are there is already a dating website for exactly what they’re looking for. These websites typically categorize by profession, age, gender, hobby, body type, kink, race, music taste, religion, education, relationship status and “attractiveness,” among who knows what else.
Distance isn’t as much of an issue now, either. If two romantic partners want to create intimacy between a large distance apart, there’s such things now as “teledildonics.” Most notably, there’s a thing called the We-Vibe. The aptly-titled sex toy can be remotely controlled via smartphone from anywhere with wi-fi to vibrate on demand by intensity and type by using the touch screen. That’s just the tip of the iceberg of sex-tech toys.
Romance has evolved, too. Instead of driving all the way to someone’s house to talk face to face, a romantic evening can be a Skype call or Facetime conversation. Couples can tag their significant others in social media statuses to show affection. Unfortunately, when couples break up, they have to break up online, too.
You could argue technology has evolved the way we look at or value sex. The hookup culture happens. Those who first meet up online are probably more likely to hook up than those who first meet in person. Still, did the Internet cause these affairs? Or did it only make it more accessible for people in the market?
Let me clarify, I’m not going to get up on my high horse here. I’m not going to say that all of this is going to be detrimental to human society and intimacy and that we should all “unplug.” It’s just interesting. People will do as they’ve always done. Technology has just made everything easier and more efficient. That is to say, I would draw the line at the concept of a life-like “sex robot.” Deliberately replacing human intimacy can’t be a good thing. But just watch, give it a decade or so and it might be a reality.
Above all else though, the politics of sex are being changed by the web.
We still live in a society where openly discussing sex is met with ridicule, judgment and embarrassment. I’ll admit I’m not about to openly talk about sex in public either, but I’m down to discuss it with other willing people in the right setting.
However, what’s cool (and again, maybe bad) is we can hide behind screen names online. This allows us to say what we want without social consequence. If someone wants to discuss their confusing sexuality anonymously, they can seek out communities of other similar people and talk. They can find support. They can express themselves, and eventually help others along the way. There are several activie communities like Reddit’s r/sex, where individuals openly ask about experiences and get advice.
As technology and sex continue to evolve together, it’s tough to predict how things will turn out for us. Here’s hoping this “technical sexual evolution” leads to more self-enlightenment rather than self-regression. I’m betting on the former.
Thanks for reading.
