Are you digisexual?

[Anonymous]

Interesting long article this month in Harper's entitled "Robots, Virtual Reality, and the Future of Sex."

Among other observations:

"VR's ability to create 'placement and plausibility illusion within the human brain' will 'offer people intense sexual experiences that the real world possibly never could.'"

Poses the question whether digisexuality might be a new identity and, if so, what it means for sex and intimacy in general.

"Couples who suffer from a desire discrepancy may find the coming tech a blessing."

Discuss.

[Anonymous]

Another quote:

Discusses the work of two academics whose "work sketches out what new developments in sex tech will mean for society, especially for the segment that may abandon human intimacy altogether, people they call digisexuals (others use the term robosexuals). How might we describe this nascent identity? At what point will a sexuality independent of fellow humans be deemed a healthy alternative rather than a curiosity? When, as the joke goes, will homosexuality merely refer to people who prefer to have sex with other people?"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Interesting long article this month in Harper's entitled "Robots, Virtual Reality, and the Future of Sex."

Among other observations:

"VR's ability to create 'placement and plausibility illusion within the human brain' will 'offer people intense sexual experiences that the real world possibly never could.'"

Poses the question whether digisexuality might be a new identity and, if so, what it means for sex and intimacy in general.

"Couples who suffer from a desire discrepancy may find the coming tech a blessing."

Discuss.

[Anonymous]

Article describes VR and robots as the second wave of digisexuality.

"The first one crashed over us decades ago and consists of all the ways technology is used to mediate sexual connections between or among people: chat groups, live cams, social media, dating apps, various virtual worlds where people interact through avatars, as well as remote-controlled sexual devices. Some of the technologies were developed specifically for erotic purposes, but many, like Skype and Zoom, were not."

"Second-wave digisexuality . . . is more about immersion. It may involve human-to-human interaction, but much of what occurs will not."

[Anonymous]

It certainly could solve a lot of marital -- and therefore social -- problems (cheating, difference in desire levels, perceived need for variety in sexual partners or experiences, impact of divorce on families etc.) if it were viewed as socially acceptable for married or other couples to supplement their sexual relationship with whatever VR experiences each person wanted, and if that was not viewed as odd or abnormal or worse (and was regarded without jealousy or resentment).

I know this idea will be torched by many, but really, think of how many problems this small adjustment in thinking could address.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
It certainly could solve a lot of marital -- and therefore social -- problems (cheating, difference in desire levels, perceived need for variety in sexual partners or experiences, impact of divorce on families etc.) if it were viewed as socially acceptable for married or other couples to supplement their sexual relationship with whatever VR experiences each person wanted, and if that was not viewed as odd or abnormal or worse (and was regarded without jealousy or resentment).

I know this idea will be torched by many, but really, think of how many problems this small adjustment in thinking could address.

True. The amazing vividness of the new VR experiences may mean that more and more people foresake sex with real people. I suspect that the decline in the marriage rate is partially explained by the ubiquity of and easy access to porn.

[Anonymous]

Future generations will not have sex with each other because who needs the stress or dissatisfaction and thus will have no reason to get married. Babies, to the extent that people chose to have them will come from sperm banks and egg donation clinics. No need to directly interact with each other.

In the end humanity will do itself in. Earth will recover and thrive until the sun burns out.

Good times

[Anonymous]

I’d consider it cheating and would leave anyone who engaged in this.

I think there’s WAY too much potential for it to become addicting and interfere with people’s abilities to have normal relationships, something we’ve already seen happening because of porn and social media.

I also think it’s very sad that we’re viewing sex more and more as a resource that people (mostly men) consume, rather than a mutually pleasurable experience.

[Anonymous]

I’m trisexual… I’ll tri anything sexual! 🤣

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’d consider it cheating and would leave anyone who engaged in this.

I think there’s WAY too much potential for it to become addicting and interfere with people’s abilities to have normal relationships, something we’ve already seen happening because of porn and social media.

I also think it’s very sad that we’re viewing sex more and more as a resource that people (mostly men) consume, rather than a mutually pleasurable experience.

DH here. I have pretty low drive, my wife has very high. She also likes all kinds of fantasy stuff whereas I am plain vanilla. We have a great family, three little kids, are best friends. She bridges the desire gap with her occulus and various toys. I don’t care, I don’t consider it cheating, I’m the one she loves and wants to be married to.

You think I should divorce her over THIS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’d consider it cheating and would leave anyone who engaged in this.

I think there’s WAY too much potential for it to become addicting and interfere with people’s abilities to have normal relationships, something we’ve already seen happening because of porn and social media.

I also think it’s very sad that we’re viewing sex more and more as a resource that people (mostly men) consume, rather than a mutually pleasurable experience.

Sex is addictive. If newlyweds decide they love it and want to go twice a day, we think they are lucky and say more power to them.

[Anonymous]

Honestly I think this may be a blessing, socially, because it will create an outlet for the legions of unmarriagable men that isn’t violence or harassment toward “real life” women to whose time and attention they feel unjustly denied.

On the other hand it will be more important than ever to be careful about one’s digital presence as deepfakes proliferate, or your creepy office troll may be having sex with your virtually without your knowledge or consent.

[Anonymous]

My only problem with this is labeling it a sexuality. It's just a masturbation tool.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honestly I think this may be a blessing, socially, because it will create an outlet for the legions of unmarriagable men that isn’t violence or harassment toward “real life” women to whose time and attention they feel unjustly denied.

On the other hand it will be more important than ever to be careful about one’s digital presence as deepfakes proliferate, or your creepy office troll may be having sex with your virtually without your knowledge or consent.

I think there is a Star Trek episode on that!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m trisexual… I’ll tri anything sexual! 🤣

Not cute. Seriously