Porn traffic trumps that of Netflix, Amazon and Twitter … combined.
In 2015 (aka the year of the Internet of Things), that has meant the industry shifting in a much more hands off way than ever before.
“Technosexuality” — by definition, a sexual attraction to machinery — has been repurposed of late to describe the fusion of virtual reality and sex. It’s now a catch-all for a gaggle of interesting, hilarious and definitely NSFW gadgets like the TwerkingButt or a device that allows you to get busy with your iPad: gadgets that connect on one end to the Internet and on the other to, well, you get the gist.
So where does this technosexuality lead us, as a species? Skeptics tout the marriage of VR and sexual imagery as a gateway to a future of heightened porn consumption and antisocial behavior, principally among men. But while the mechanisms currently in production are admittedly still a bit crude (though quickly advancing), their applications aren’t necessarily all menacing.
To wit:
Online Dating … Online?
When androids dream of electric sheep, will our children be going on their first dates … digitally? Maybe. Hell, for that matter, it’s completely feasible that future generations will scratch the whole face-to-face thing altogether with the advent of “technodildonics” (yes, you can snicker): devices like Kiiroo that allow two people to stimulate one another remotely.
Improved LDR Intimacy
LDR is cyberpunk for “Long Distance Relationship,” which, in 2015, is probably something that at least one of your friends is involved in. Used to be cyber sex was a sort of clumsy, fragmented exercise that mostly involved awkward laughter and trying to fix your webcam/Internet connection. But things like Kiiroo and the iOS-engineered WeVibe allow partners to be intimate from afar in ways Alexander Graham Bell never imagined.
Sexual Liberation Movement, 2.0
For those out there that might be inhibited about their personal fantasies, VR could mean the freedom to finally embrace one’s deeper — dare we say repressed? — desires. There’s even a Star Trek episode on the matter. Take the Fleshlight Launchpad or BKK Cybersex Cups, devices that allow users to immerse themselves in sexual environments and encounters to which they might not otherwise have access.
Whatever you’re looking for, virtual reality is fast becoming reality.
Prepare accordingly.
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