Cyberspace and Sexuality

The comprehensive research study about sexuality in the United States, the National Health and Social Life Survey (NHSLS), concluded that our attitudes and behaviors are dramatically influenced by the people in our social groups (Laumann et al., 1994). This research was conducted before the explosion in online communication in the 1990s. By 2010 there were almost 2 billion Internet users worldwide. China has 477 million Internet users—more than any other country in the world. The United States is second, with 221 million people using the Internet. Of considerable significance is that the current worldwide usage rate consists of only 30.2% of the population, leaving enormous growth potential (Internet World Stats, 2011). See I Figure 1.4 for more statistics about Internet use around the globe.

perspectives on Sexuality

(a) Percentage of Population That Uses the Internet by Geographic Region

North America Oceania/Australia Europe

Latin America/Caribbean Middle East World Average Asia Africa

(b) Top Ten Languages in the Internet in 2010

English Chinese Spanish Japanese Portuguese German Arabic French Russian Korean All the rest

I Figure 1.4 Worldwide Internet users.

SOURCE: Internet World Stats, www. internetworldstats. com. Copyright © Miniwatts Marketing Group. Reprinted by permission.

The impact of this communication revolution on sexual attitudes and behaviors is potentially epic. Now people in disparate social groups—different age groups, races, religions, ethnic groups, and economic groups—can communicate more easily than ever before. Distance and cultural barriers are becoming smaller and smaller, which presents "[t]he possibility for the kinds of quantum leaps that human minds can make when they share ideas" (Shernoff, 2006, p. 20). The number of social networking sites has increased dramatically in a very short time. For example, Facebook was set up in 2004 and had 519 million users by 2011 (Internet World Stats, 2011).

Communicating and obtaining information via the Internet have become very sig­nificant to individuals who previously felt very alienated and alone with regard to their sexuality, as the following explains:

The first time I found someone else on the Internet who experienced sexual arousal the same way I did was a profound relief. Even before I was a teen­ager, I was strongly aroused by seeing girls and women swimming. I’m in my 40s now and have to be in a pool with my wife to be able to become aroused enough to have sex when we get home. the "pornography" that I use is of women in water. Finding out how many other people are like me has helped me and my wife to work better with the challenges my means of arousal bring instead of only being upset about it. (Authors’ files)

Up to 80% of people obtain health information from the Internet (Fine, 2008), and it can provide quick access to useful information related to sexuality. "Dear Abby"-type sex columnists answer online questions, and the abundance of self-help information ranges from websites for breast and prostate cancer to message boards posting wig-care tips for transsexuals. An exploratory study found that teens may be judicious consumers of sexuality information on the Internet. Most did not trust the Internet for accurate online information, concerned that it is often user-generated and incorrect (Jones & Biddlecom, 2011).

The Internet has also become a huge dating service, an interactive personal-ad oppor­tunity that people can use for online conversations to see if they want to meet in person. Although it has risks, Internet dating can have the advantages of clarifying one’s agenda for a relationship up front, whether one is seeking casual sex or a life partner. For some, the level of self-disclosure online may actually establish more intimacy before they initiate a physical relationship than meeting face-to-face without prior online communication.

The Internet and cell phones have also become sources of sexual self-expression. About 80% of 13- to 17-year-olds and 93% of 18- to 24-year-olds use cell phones in the United States—a number that is surely rising as you read this. Using the built-in cameras, 30% of young adults ages 20 to 26 report that they have sent or posted naked or partially naked photos or videos of themselves to flirt with someone or just for fun. "Sexting" is the term for sending nude photos on cell phones (Lithwick, 2009). Even more have sent sexually suggestive text messages (National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, 2008a). (See Chapter 12 for a discussion of sexting.)

Online sexual activity (OSA) extends far beyond sending nude photos by cell phone. In contrast to social networking, self-help, and general sexuality education, the approxi­mately 72 million people who visit adult sites each month in the United States are looking for something else in the consumer-driven interactive sexual supermarket. Many users seek sexually explicit images or webcam live-action "cyberstrippers" to arouse themselves during masturbation. Sexually explicit self-expression occurs when individuals, couples, or groups make homemade sexual videos of themselves and post them to Internet web­sites for others to view. Some use chat rooms to talk about their wildest fantasies or par­ticipate in multiplayer interactive adult games, often experimenting by assuming different personae and sexes (Ross, 2005). Others engage in real-time chat via instant messaging and use audio devices and video cameras for online interaction. Remote interactive tech­nology, dubbed "teledildonics," provides interactive, rather than solo, stimulation. Teledil — donics allows one person to control another’s sex toy over the Internet. Users manipulate a control panel that varies the intensity of motion of the other person’s sleeve-style vibra­tor or dildo with an attached vibrating bunny for clitoral stimulation.

Most of the Internet’s technological developments have been advanced by the sex industry, and adult programming continues to be a significant revenue source for recent developments in cell phones, iPod "pod porn," PDAs, PSP game handhelds, and broad­band video streaming platforms (Alexander, 2006).