Getting a firm ‘yes’ before sex isn’t new—at least, it shouldn’t be.
The conversation around body boundaries and verbal consent is growing and we’re beginning to see its positive effects. A recent CDC report revealed that 8 out of 10 high school students (in the US) were asked to consent before their last sexual encounter.
While normalizing sexual consent education may vary (thanks to political and cultural bias), it’s becoming a bigger part of sex ed in schools. And now, researchers at the Kinsey Institute are asking a new question: Can people learn about consent from camming sites?
Unlike watching porn, camming is interactive. You chat and interact with models in real-time. You make requests, and they set boundaries to fulfill your sexual desires best safely. It’s a digital space where consent is constantly at play. But do users learn from that?
“Camsites as a Context for Sexual Consent Education: User Experiences” sets out to answer this. Written by Dr. Amanda N. Gesselman, Dr. Ellen M. Kaufman, Margaret Bennett-Brown Ph.D., and Jessica T. Campbell Ph.D., this research explores how the erotic webcam site LiveJasmin shapes its users’ understanding of sexual boundaries.
Can an online fantasy interaction teach us respect IRL?
The science of yes
Sexual consent isn’t just about hearing (or saying) ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ While consent is fundamental for healthy relationships, many people are not getting formally educated on it. Instead, they take cues from media, porn, or trial/error within their own experiences.
Researchers have long studied how folks understand consent, not just when it should happen, but how it should be communicated throughout the entire sexual encounter. And the consensus is clear—consent is an ongoing conversation, not a single ‘yes’ before things start.
Studies on college students and hookup culture have highlighted common misunderstandings such as the assumption that consent only needs to be given once. Or that silence or passive participation means agreement.
Pornography has also been studied as a source of sex education. While some claim they learn about sex from watching it, the way consent is shown in porn isn’t always clear. And, it must be noted, some studies suggest that the average porn consumer isn’t learning much about real-life boundaries.
What about online, real-time interactions where people actually have to ask for what they want?
Click, chat, consent
Dr. Amanda N. Gesselman and the research team had a hypothesis: Some camsite clients were learning about consent without even realizing it.
To test this, they surveyed 5,828 LiveJasmin users. These participants were mostly white heterosexual men aged 18 to 99, who had used the camming site for at least five years and had more than 20 one-on-one sessions with webcam models.
The users were invited to take a survey via the LiveJasmin site. It asked them questions about their camming habits, and whether they had learned anything new about sex and sexuality—including sexual consent.
If the participant selected “I’ve learned something new about sexual consent,” they were asked to explain their answer further.
So, what did they find?
The results of the study
One of the biggest takeaways camsite clients reported was understanding the importance of respecting boundaries. Nearly 23% of those who learned something about sexual consent said they realized that just because they were paying for an experience didn’t mean they automatically got whatever they wanted. Others shared that they started seeing the models as people, not just fantasy figures there to serve them.
This is huge, as porn may skip over consent entirely. On camming platforms, the users are forced to ask, wait, and accept when the answer is no. And some of them learned this skill for the first time on LiveJasmin—that’s a win!
Learning about consent
Another major theme is learning how to talk about consent and realizing it doesn’t have to be a mood killer. About 17% of responses focused on how crucial clear verbal consent is.
Some participants had their “aha” moment of no means no, with one stating, “If a woman says no, it ALWAYS means no. Silence is not consent.” A smaller yet significant learning—3.2% of responses—described how consent enhances their sexual experiences. Best summarized with the following client quote: “Asking for consent and seeking consent makes everyone feel more sexy.”
And clients learned consent isn’t a one-time thing—it’s fluid and can change; about 12.7% of responses touched on this concept. Folks started realizing that what’s okay for one person may not be for others and that boundaries can shift even mid-interaction.
Roughly 2% of camsite participants shared the emotional aspect of consent. They realized it could build trust and deepen intimacy. This aligns with other research from Dr. Gesselman and Dr. Kaufman, which suggests that adult camming sites are not just sexual gratification platforms.
The role of camsites
About 10.7% of responses specifically talked about the nature of camsites. For some, this made them better aware of power dynamics in sexual interactions. They started thinking more critically about whether someone was truly enthusiastic or just going along with it for financial reasons.
For 9.5% of users, camsites simply reinforced a basic but valuable point: consent is essential. With one stating, “It is the base of any sexual relationship,” and another adding, “Sex should not be forced or uncomfortable, it is a mutual satisfaction.”
There is still work to be done
While most of the clients gained positive insights, a small minority ( 9 people out of XXX) started seeing consent as something that could be bargained for. One shared with “some girls—it’s negotiable,” while another admitted that consent differs based on how clear the models are with their boundaries and “how easy or hard it is to talk them into stuff.”
They also saw this behavior happening with other users, with a participant commenting that “Most men get off on [models] doing something they ‘wouldn’t usually do’ by throwing money at them.”
While this group of clients was small, it shows how we must continue to educate people about consent and respect for boundaries, including on camming platforms.
The research continues
This study, led by Dr. Amanda Gesselman and Dr. Ellen Kaufman, is just the beginning. Their continued research on adult camsites and sexual consent has shown us that digital platforms can impact the way people think about boundaries, communication, and negotiation. But their work doesn’t stop here. They’re expanding on their findings and challenging those long-held assumptions about intimacy in a digital society.
At its core, their research proves one thing: Camsites are influencing how people think about consent.
It’s not just about learning how to ask for permission before sex—technology is redefining our understanding of intimacy, respect, and human connection. Sites like LiveJasmin offer something different than traditional porn; it’s interaction, in real-time, and it requires explicit communication. Their clients don’t simply watch sexual content, they engage with it. They make requests. They wait for a response. They hear ‘yes,’ and sometimes they hear ‘no.’
These lessons have real-world uses, influencing folks’ interactions outside of camsites. Dr. Gesselman emphasized this in a previous LeShaw interview: “Our research shows that these platforms have impacts beyond just the time spent in the session. Some things carry over and influence behaviors, thoughts, and actions.”
Technology will have a major role as we continue normalizing the conversations about consent. These findings prove that we can’t separate online spaces from IRL behaviors. What clients learn—or unlearn—on camming sites will affect their offline lives.
So, can a camsite teach someone about sexual consent? Absolutely. These sites are sparking conversations about consent, but shouldn’t our education systems be providing quality, evidence-based sex ed?
