Don’t believe everything you hear. Adult cam sites can get a bad rap due to moralistic views about sex work.
Yet, research depicts a more nuanced picture, showing that the people who use them can gain more than basic adult entertainment. Published in The Journal of Sex Research, a study of thousands of adult cam site viewers reveals benefits linked to mood, sex education, and emotional connection.
Understanding adult cam site viewers
To uncover the nuanced experiences of adult cam site visitors, researchers surveyed 10,570 Chaturbate users. The live-streaming platform is a popular name in online sex work, along with high-traffic sites such as LiveJasmin and LoyalFans.
The survey asked participants how they perceive using adult webcam platforms influences their sexual knowledge, emotions, and sex lives. It also asked what qualities they seek in cam models.
Participants were primarily White (74%), heterosexual (75%), and identified as men (94%). Age groups varied, with notable proportions between 18-24 (18%) and 55-64 (12%), with far fewer over 65 (6%). More than half (57%) were single, 19% were married, and 12% were unmarried yet in a serious relationship.
Half (50%) said they also visited other interactive adult cam sites.
Benefits to mood and sexuality
Viewing adult cam sites enriched the lives of users in multiple ways.
“Most respondents perceived that their webcam viewing had a positive impact on their mood and their sex life, even though the vast majority did not define watching webcams as ‘real sex’ or find it as enjoyable as inperson partnered sexual activity,” wrote the authors.
Regarding mood, nearly two-thirds (64%) said watching cam models made them feel calmer, and disagreed it made them unhappy, anxious, depressed, or guilty. However, 16-26% of respondents reported negative emotions.
Over half (55%) said using adult cam sites made them feel better about their sex lives. Sexual orientation played a significant role. Bisexual (62%) and gay and lesbian respondents (60%) were more likely than heterosexual respondents (53%) to report that watching cams made them feel better about their sex lives.
Conversely, about 30% wished they could stop using webcams, with heterosexuals (32%) more likely than bisexual (24%) or gay/lesbian respondents (22%) to feel this way.
In total, 66% said using adult cam sites made them more educated about sex.
Seeking connection with cam models
While physical attractiveness mattered most to viewers, they desired more than good looks and sex appeal.
Experiencing an emotional connection was a top motivator for visiting adult cam sites.
For example, viewers sought to bond with cam models in ways that were romantic, friendly, or therapeutic. In some cases, they preferred cam models act like real-life relationship partners, often referred to as “the girlfriend experience.”
“Our factor analysis speaks to the fact that many users value an emotional connection, finding sustenance in performers who transcend their manufactured identities and who genuinely appear to enjoy sharing their opinions and problem-solving advice, even in non-sexual matters,” wrote the authors.
This craving for connection was reflected in the popularity of interactive experiences often enhanced by long-distance sex toys. These Bluetooth sextech devices, such as those from Kiiroo, respond to the actions of other sex toys and can be controlled remotely.
“Instead of watching couples engaged in penile-vaginal intercourse—one of the most common sex acts in online pornography (Fritz et al., 2022)—our webcam users preferred being intimate with performers who were able to direct their sexual attention toward the viewer and share the synchronous sexual enjoyment,” wrote the authors.
Advancing research on camming
Defying common perception, people who watch adult cam sites gain more than sexual gratification.
Most respondents said viewing them boosted their mood, improved their sexual knowledge, and made them feel better about their sex lives. Afforded a safe space, sexual minorities were more likely to report benefits to their sex lives and less likely to report negative emotions.
A desire for emotional connection and real-time erotic engagement also drove users to visit adult cam sites.
The authors encourage further inquiry on cam performers and the sociocultural impact of technology-mediated sexuality.
The call is on to diversify research into a domain that is transforming online sex work.
