Sex (noun) - Sexual intercourse
Sex (verb) - Engaging in Sexual Intercourse
Online Sex - ??
Sex, and with these three letters the room goes silent. The topical issue of sex isn't necessarily discussed with such a keen eye so to speak from an education perspective. Though I do find myself in the thick of it trying to nut out the result of the equation SEX + INTERNET = ??. And can cyber sex really be considered as sex?
This probably isn't the best topic for the dinner table...
This is some kind Media and there of.
Sexual culture is pretty simple; in reality. Two people (or more) engaging in acts in a sexual nature. That's the most G rated definition I can come up with. However if we add the internet into the mix, then it gets a whole lot complicated. The internet allows people to access online sexual content whether it be porn, online chat rooms or even utilizing a second life account in a sexual way. This adds another level of complexity to the notion of sex. For instance can a sexual relationship through a virtual chat room be considered engaging in a sexual act? Or even using your second life avatar to engage in a more visual sexual act, is that sex? And does this new sexual environment lead to new ventures as well as issues?
Cybersex culture opens the door for an increase of pornography generation, online chat rooms and other new avenues for sexual content and communication. A problem though due to the easy nature in which people can access this content and environment means that issues of control and open access. In an article "Internet Porn: Worse than Crack", Ryan Singel compares the use of internet porn with crack addition. Singel however points out that the use of porn can actually be even worse than having a crack addiction as 'the internet is the perfect drug delivery system' (Layden, 2004). Having efficient access 24/7 without much or any fees and having the ability to be anonymous when viewing content, there is nothing deterring the use of porn.
By participating in the cybersex environment, does it make sense to define it as actually having sex? Having cybersex doesn't involve any physical interaction only the exchange of emotions and fantasized feelings. Putting it in context, avatars having sex on Second Life is only a transmission of emotions with the avatars having the somewhat 'physical' contact. I personally don't believe that cybersex can be considered as real sex. Sure they both have 'sex' in there name however, to me real sex is about a more physical connection and one containing love than lust. I think that lust is what fuels cybersex and the reasons why people do these activities. Second Life for instance sells sexual anatomy parts and other tools which help to satisfy this lust.
