LOS ANGELES – While sexual confidence is rising, sexual taboos are declining, according to a new study by French survey institute IFOP. In both cases, researchers attributed the results to convergence between the internet, mobile devices and game decks.
The findings coordinate perfectly with International Masturbation Month, loosely organized celebration that occurs each May.
“The use of new technologies for sexual purposes is closely linked with the various games played via the functionalities (e.g. photos, videos, etc.) provided by the internet and modes of communication such as cell phones and webcams,” the IFOP report noted. “Aside from the passive viewing of pornographic images, young Americans are also displaying an increasingly sexualized use of the internet and new modes of communication, including cell phones and webcams.”
The survey indicated the viewing of live sex shows online is an increasingly common habit, with 32 percent of men and 21 percent of women having watched a person performing a sex show in front of a webcam. The survey also revealed American attitudes about internet-based sex are less judgmental among those younger than 35. More than 26 percent of the survey respondents in that group admitted having sexual relations via webcam, and 48 percent admitted they would take part in webcam sex if the opportunity were available.
Sexting, which consists of electronically exchanging photos or videos of a sexual nature, is also a particularly common habit among Americans younger than 35: 40 percent of women in the age group admitted using cell phones and/or social media to send photos or videos in which they were nude or semi-nude.
Additional increases in the sexualized use of modern communication methods include the rising popularity of sex tapes. When polled about sex tapes or amateur adult videos intended for private use, 26 percent of American men and women younger than 35 reported filming or photographing their exploits with a partner; 48 percent said they would do so if the moment were right.
A popular myth debunked by the study is the notion porn consumption is a “shameful” and solitary activity and correlates with a lack of sexual activity. Instead, the report discovered the viewing of adult materials is highest among individuals with the most partners and those who have sexual relations most often. The standard profile of the modern adult video consumer who admits to watching pornographic videos at least once per week shows he or she has a more active-than-average sex life: 52 percent of porn viewers have sex once daily versus an average of 19 percent who have sex daily among the population as a whole. In addition, modern porn consumers have a more diverse sex life, with 32 percent of Americans having had more than one partner during the past four weeks. Porn no longer can be considered merely a replacement for an unsatisfactory sex life, the study’s authors said.
Concomitant with increases in pornographic video consumption is a boom in widespread masturbatory activities among both men and women. According to the IFOP study, 78 percent of American males and 68 percent of American females admitted masturbating. The numbers jump for those under age 35: 88 percent of men and 79 percent of women admit having participate in masturbatory activities.
The report suggests the percentage of women may be higher, as women traditionally under-report solitary sexual practices.
Overall, the results indicate increased development of technology-based sexual exchanges via platforms offering the ability to engage in seduction games or sex games end-users may not have the confidence to try in person has lead to a decrease in sexual taboos associated with gender, sexual preference and sex acts in general.
The survey “shatters certain preconceptions about pornography,” said Francois Kraus, IFOP’s research director. “It also provides an update on usages and modes of consumption, which have evolved significantly over the past 20 years.
“A growing number of young people are developing new forms of fantasy and masturbatory activities via interactive tools, whose attraction lies in the fact they enable mutual stimulation between partners,” he added.
The IFOP survey was conducted online between Dec. 19 and 26, 2013. The test sample included 1,023 people representative of the U.S. population aged 18 and over.
“The IFOP survey shows how new technologies and communication methods have truly modernized the way Americans have sex,” said Jas Kase, marketing and sales director for Cam4, which commissioned the survey. “They have also contributed to an evolved, sex-positive attitude. Through these findings, we have confirmed what we have seen on Cam4: Cell phones, webcams and the internet have created a positive, healthy way for people to explore their sexuality, at the same time decreasing sexual taboos. All of this has resulted in a much wider acceptance of people’s gender and sexual preferences, and overall desire for sexual exploration.”
