VR Turns Voyeurs into Active Participants
Virtual Reality was first imagined as science fiction.
For a long time, it was roped alongside hoverboards
and time machines as a distant, futuristic dream.
But now virtual reality (VR) is slowly seeping into
the tech-lover’s collection, and one very specific
genre is on the precipice of going mainstream. Porn.
Before VR we had POV porn. Point of View.
Some camcorder guy fucking his girlfriend.
A few examples below.
Virtual porn is already available for consumption on
some adult sites, and it’s becoming rapidly more popular.
It has grown by 250 per cent over the last year,
faster than any other category. Unlike passively
watching a film, virtual porn offers additional
options such as zooming in, and even Bluetooth
synchronisation.
In a recent study participants were split on whether their experiences were wonderful, or “too perfect” – and degrading to women.
For some participants, VR meant pushing the boundaries, often with highly explicit and violent imagery. With no limitations, virtual porn has the potential to be more addictive and violent.
From current research into pornography that exposure to this content has the potential to become addictive and more extreme over time.
VR porn also raises concerns of consent. A user could create a VR version of their partner and do things he would refuse in the real world. It could also widen the possibilities of revenge porn by allowing users to make and share 3D models of former partners.
Because virtual porn users can be participating in the sex scene, as opposed to simply being voyeurs, the researchers believe virtual porn could be viewed as closer to infidelity than regular porn.
VR changes the experience of pornography – generally from third person to first person. This could be thought of as cheating, but whether this would be more so than watching pornography more widely we’ll have to wait and see.
Reports on the development of VR pornography are that they can be powerful experiences, and arguably could add a new element to sexual relationships, good or bad.
The endless possibilities of virtual porn could lead to more experimental ideas of sex. For example, virtual reality could allow a male user to assume a female role, and vice versa. VR could offer more emphasis on the “relational aspects” of sexual experience by focusing more on sensory, narrative-driven experiences.
And playing a more active role could make users feel more responsible if they use violent or non-consensual content. Empathy is a huge factor in developing VR experiences, and I think it could foreseeably have a role if experiences were designed in certain ways.”
But being so immersed in another world also has risks for users who may be unhappy in the real one. Psychosexual and relationship therapist Sarah Calvert has argued that some people use porn as escapism from an unhappy life, and unhappy feelings could be exacerbated on returning to their unchanged reality after going into a virtual world.
And when you’re in someone else’s body, if that body happens to be closer to the widely accepted ideal, it could leave your ego wounded. The self-esteem of young people in-particular could be hit if they use VR and look down to see “ripped abs” and a “big penis”. The trip back to reality could be damaging.
Porn already comes with downsides, including addiction, unrealistic expectations and the turbulence it can cause in relationships. VR porn could heighten these risks, just as the experience itself is intensified.
VR porn opens the doors to an apparently ‘perfect’ sexual experience – a scenario which in the real world no-one could live up to. Perfection may not be quite as blissful as it sounds.