Sex Work and Consumerism

SEX WORK AND

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CONSUMERISM

Sex workers have carried the weight of crushing sexual taboos and suffered the consequences of it throughout recent decades. They face ostracization and shame from the public: the very people who consume their media. Sex work has played a prevalent role in the life of billions since it first became popularized in the 1960s. Despite the history of this media, it was not until the 1920s when pornographic films began to emerge. Nearly four decades later, porn became available in many different forms such as books, cartoons and films. With the rise of Playboy magazines, sex workers have become less stigmatized. Nonetheless, they still face rampant discrimination in a world that seemingly can’t live without them.

In the sex industry, creators deal with skyrocketing rates of mental illness. Those identifying as a sexual minority are twice as likely to be affected by mental illness. In a study done by BMC Women’s Health from 2010-2013, 48% of 692 female sex workers reported being diagnosed with a mental illness. There is a plethora of reasons for this abnormally high rate: they face constant objectification, are sexually exploited or face insecurity in regards

to shelter and food. The mental health of these creators have faced a serious decline in recent years, partly because the means of production has become more accessible and independent. The rise of online production has returned the power to creators. Sex workers have more autonomy with technology. However, this leads to more obstacles to overcome.

In December 2020, Pornhub decided to remove all independently published pornography from their website overnight (Vice). This resulted in most X-rated videos being wiped from the website down to only 4.7 million videos, a mere fraction of the content they had. Many sex workers essentially lost their income overnight and had to become resourceful to independently produce their work. Independent production by sex workers allows for more interaction between them and their consumers, which has both positive and negative effects. In some cases, they feel less objectified in creating more intimate relationships with their viewers. But, this can lead to further degradation by the consumer since they feel more entitled to exploiting the sex workers.

Ben Dreon, a sociology graduate student at University of Oregon, focuses his research on the consumer side of pornographic content. Through his research he found that those who consumed pornographic content typically had negative responses to sex in their personal life. This negative reaction can stem from their inability to act on their sexual urges leading to outbursts online where they express these shortcomings. Dreon’s observations describe how online consumers look at pornography as more of a collection than a means to have a sexual outlet. Rather than watching pornography and being satisfied, the consumers become fixated with one sex worker. They view these performers as something to strive to attain, even if the act they are performing is falsified.

Sex Work is ubiquitous, and has become widespread in the past few years with the development of Only Fans, Twitch streaming services, and sugar baby websites. Dreon notes that

during highly populated Twitch streams, watchers often work together by copying and repasting foul messages in an attempt to receive attention from the streamer. Why do the watchers form a community through these exploitative means? Possibly because they know there will be no repercussion for their outburst, or because this degradation is how they get off. There has not been much scientific research into the consumer end of sex work, but there has been a few sociological experiments.

Sex and porn addiction is now a recognized disorder by the American Psychology Association. Since porn and sex addiction has steadily increased through the past decade, this raises the question of if porn and X rated media become too accessible? Answers may vary depending on if you are a producer or consumer of this material. For creators, the answer is glaringly obvious as the more their media is consumed then the more money they make. Sites for cam models or Only Fans have developed a more direct producer to consumer relationship, where there is room for boundaries and conversations regarding consent. Unregulated sexual content, however, revolves heavily around the consumer and their relation to these sex workers, lessening the mutual respect between the performer and watcher. On the other hand, sexual media can have a harmful effect on the consumer seeing as their perception of sexuality and expectations of sexual encounters may be skewed.

This altered expectation of what the consumer feels like sex should be like, can have very real world repercussions. It can affect their relationships with family members and sexual partners and can lead to further frustration and isolation. The sociological impact of sex work and people’s addiction to it is not negligible for both the consumer and the creator. Porn stars and cam models rely on their fanbase to be able to provide for themselves, but at what price? Sexual content should be more difficult to access to lessen the consumption of it for those who may not be mature enough to consume it, such as minors or those prone to sexual violence. Overall, the stigmatization of X rated creators needs to end, and more resources must be provided to help with mental health and financial stability.

"The sociological impact of sex work and people's addiction to it is not negligible for both the consumer and the creator.

WRITTEN BY

WESLEY JOHNSON

DESIGNER

LAYNA BEALE

ILLUSTRATED BY

EMMA WILLIAMS