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The Intersection of Sex and Technology: Impacting Our Sex LivesA Foreseeable Pair
Ranging from opposable thumbs and language skills to self-awareness, sexual pleasure and cultural production, uniquely human characteristics increase our capacity for potentiality. Ironically, what enables us to explore the extent to which we may take advantages of our abilities is, in fact, the uniquely human characteristic leading many contemporary controversies: technological advancement. As the tool-attuned species we are, technology plays a significant role in our modern society. Its prominence is thus not a shocking pair for our simultaneously dominant sexual instincts. “It was just a matter of time before hard drives were incorporated into one of the most basic of human drives” (D). Similarly foreseeable, where technology exists, its disputed contentions follow. While technology allows us to explore potentiality and find solutions to our existent problems, it contrarily causes additional problems by providing us the means to pursue our desire for boundless experience. In nearly every imaginable facet of the media, sex and technology have been intertwined, filling our imagination with sexual fantasies and expectations for the future. The imaginative conclusions of contemporary thinkers have become a source of inspiration for new innovations, and subsequently a window to foresee the future of technological advancements. Much of our society, including writers, engineers, futurists, and scholars, have dreamt about and attempted to predict the possibilities of our future. As more and more fabrications of our imaginations become reality, it is clear that both the pace in which technology itself is able to advance, and the extent to which we allow it to do so, determine what fantasies come true and what predictions prove accurate. With such an ability to navigate, we ought to take caution: as we explore the benefits we may reap from our attempts to pursue our potential, we must also address the consequences and take responsibility for both positive and negative outcomes at risk as we use our technological abilities to bring life to the concepts we dream of. “Humans are a tool-oriented species, however far back you go,” writes Regina Lynn, author of The Sexual Revolution 2.0. Seeing as the instinct to have sex is one of the most potent of our natural tendencies, it is not surprising that “humans have always sought to sexualize technology and technologize sex, ” (Chansanchai). High on many lists of interest, topics regarding (uniquely human) sexual and technological capabilities have become controversial within themselves as well at their point of intersection. Captivating as they are, sex and technology remain prominent discussion topics that merge to function as the basis of many fantasies and predictions for the future. How can we make certain that we fulfill our ability to have pleasurable sexual experiences? Avoid sexual frustration? Eliminate issues that become sexual obstacles? Improve the experiences we are already capable of? Make reality of what is only fantasy? The answer for many is simple: Technology. Claire Cavanah, one of the co-authors of “Sex Toys 101” and co-founder of the store, Babeland, which specializes in sex education and toys (in New York, Los Angeles and Seattle) explains how technology, even at it simplest, can “give your fantasy life a boost through the use of porn DVDs or porn sites. ”. In addition, she says, “sex toys, even at their most basic, can bring orgasms to people who have never had them,”(Chansanchai). Technology, on many levels, is a sexual aid that is actively being used to solve sexual problems and embellish sexual experiences. Many individuals and couples resort to artificial stimulation enhancers and sex toys to achieve sexual satisfaction on their own, and/or ensure sexual satisfaction of their partner(s). Despite the advantages of sex aids, our society, constantly in conflict regarding the rightness or sexual pleasure, has generated many reasons to dislike the merging of sex and technology. Common misconceptions that breed such dislike include: “the use of sexual aids is a sign of being a pervert; that using sexual devices in a relationship is a sign that the relationship is not going well; people who use sexual aids become addicted to them”(C ). Though none of these are true, arguments continue to snowball: a person using “mechanical devices during intimate moments is unnatural, depersonalizing or replacing their partner”(C ). Though concerns continue to be debated, the use of sexual aides continues. However, the validity of personal opinions and ever-changing perspectives is undeniable. Thus many proposed concerns bring about a sense of necessity to reflect on our use of such products: has the merging of sex and technology changed the way we think about sexual experiences and relationships? And how will our perspective continue to change as it transforms with the progression of such technologies? Although their emergences are controversial, the demand for sex toys continues. As Cavanah states, people even use everyday technology, such as their phones “to stay connected to their lovers through text messaging Ñ to flirt and keep a sexual charge alive while separated”. She concludes: “Judging by sales, and mainstream attitudes of greater acceptance for pleasure and sex toys, the demand will [only] continue to grow.” (Chansanchai) Over past years, countless ideas for new sex technologies have been proposed, plenty have made it into the market, and many have been predicted to be making their appearance in the near future. Whether on store shelves, or in the process of production, all sex related technologies spark controversy in how they will impact our society's perspective on sexual relations. Among the most prominent of concerns, many people worry about how these technologies will affect how sex relates to our emotional and competitive nature. Arousing WorriesSex-bots
The sex toys that seem most plausible to support such worries tend to be of the latest and most anticipated innovations. Contemporary technology is on its way to enabling sexual experiences to feel complete with the presence of only one person. For several years now, “engineers and futurists have been writing (quietly) in academic journals and other venues about the intuitive computer-programmed robots - sexual companions that contain vibrators to provide tactile stimulation and sounds systems to provide love talk” (Katz) Many researchers believe “sexbots” like these are likely to become commonplace in the next century. Despite our fears that robotic sex enabled by these technologies could eliminate the emotional components of sex, and make human interactions seem less significant, “prototype models” such as Sega bot's “Emma” [http://inventorspot.com/articles/segas_sexy_new_female_robot_sings_dances_kisses_14560] and Japanese “dutch wives” [http://japansugoi.com/wordpress/more-on-japanese-adult-love-dolls-called-dutch-wives/] have already been reported from Japan” (Novak). Able to be made soft, pliant, responsive and human-like, the merging of sex dolls and technology to form sex bots spark much controversy regarding our society's sexual experiences and consequential outlooks. Sex related technologies seem to be advancing more rapidly than our ability to analyze their impacts. Virtual Sex
Amidst the intersection of sex and technology lies the reasonable fantasies of ultimate virtual sex. New gadgets, such as the “i-vibe”[http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/post.aspx?bid=293&bpid=15311)] the “sinulator” [http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/commentary/sexdrive/2004/09/65064]and buzzing mice enable “One person [to] plug in on one side, while the person on the other end controls [É] vibrations” (Kushner) and take web cams and sex via the internet to a whole new level. Other toys allow personal controls: such as the “OhMiBod” that connects to an Ipod and uses your musical selection to determine its vibration, or the “SaSi” that allows you to preprogram your own patterns of pulsation. Who's Bigger (and better): Product vs Creator
As texting and Internet messaging has allowed exchanges in communication to become less personal, so may such inventions enable sex to become an impersonal experience. Even when technology is used for communication, though it links two people, it strips their conversation of a sense of emotion, reality, and responsibility. Details can be lost as the information is transmitted from one end to the other. Could sex toys that enable solo and/or distanced sexual experiences similarly strip our sexual perspectives? Many fear so. The debates regarding the extent to which we allow our technology to allow such sexual encounters are underlined by our attempt to weigh the pros and cons: a perplexing see saw with fears on one side and benefits on another. While to “some people - the lonely, the severely handicapped, the isolated” sex toys “could be a great relief and release” the fear remains that “for others - unhappy spouses, troubled adolescents - digitalized, mechanized sexuality is an open invitation to [..] avoiding problems of face-to-face human contact”. (Katz) It seems possible that with the emergence of such technologies intimacy could be avoided, the importance of human contact disregarded, jealousy could erupt, and humans could become/feel inferior to their own products. Some even propose that “An entire class of humans” named “technovirgins” may emerge “who not only will never have sex with other humans, but won't even desire it” (Novak). Like many technologies of our time that have made human endeavors obsolete, people fear that sexual technologies, too, could surpass human capabilities and outshine human technique altogether. If this were the case, people fear that our marriages could shatter, our need for intimate contact could dissolve, and our profound connections that unite us as human beings could slowly cease to exist. In the midst of debating whether such technologies should or should not exist, many question: what will our decisions cause to happen to our human relationships? The credible fears regarding technology and its impact on our sexual experiences continue to snowball and produce additional undesirable consequences in our imagination. Anticipation of the Coming Consequences
Though the concerns voiced regarding the convergence of sex and technology have merit, they have yet to come into play. “In the realm of sex toys, while technology races forward, and there are little leaps now and again in the application of that new technology, the great leap to satisfying ‘virtual sex' hasn't been made yet.” (Chansanchai) If it has yet to happen, rather than concerning ourselves with the implicitly inevitable consequences that may result from the fast pace of technological advancement and its involvement in our sexual affairs, we should take the initiative to monitor the use of such products, and make careful decisions. Though many of the fears are valid, we should note that as we decide to allow these products to exist, we also decide how to use them. It is not the existence of these technologies that produces ill consequences, but rather the ways in which we choose to employ them. We cannot neglect the benefits that may come from technologically enabled sexual experiences. If we carefully manage the ways in which the technologies we produce are utilized, considering their harmless progress thus far, they could likely result in more gains than losses. If used in mind of their benefits, sex related technologies could be worth their risks: It is predicted that with the accelerating use of sex aids “sexually- transmitted diseases might fall, along with teen pregnancy, abortions, pedophilia, prostitution and Viagra prescriptions” (Katz). Some even propose that “The divorce rate might plummet [É] since emerging sex toys have a highly likely capability to “could keep marital partners happy” (Katz). People's ability to experiment with such products may offer emotional protection for those who would have other wise been sexually used or abused. Some believe that “people seeking clarity about their sexual identities would have a safe, reliable way to experiment” (Katz). It is also possible that “predators with sexual addictions might no longer [find it necessary to] prey on human beings” (Katz). In addition, the allowance of experimentation could cause people to become more open minded (even if behind closed doors) and lead to new sorts of understandings: “Heterosexuals might use same-sex sexbots to experiment with homosexuality or bi-sexuality. Gay people might use other-sex sexbots to try out heterosexuality”(Katz). Although sex aids are often sold for people who use them for pleasure, some can also be used to treat sexual problems. In this manner, though it is possible that we could lose sight of physical intimacy, and profound human connectedness, it is more possible considering progress of the past, and careful management of the future, that we could gain new means of experimentation that provide alternate solutions, means of protection and ways to connect with one another. Sex and Technology As Privileges Technologically amplified or not, therapy or enhancement, the use of sexual aids is a matter of preference. As our exclusive abilities allow technology to flourish and embellish our sexual experiences, it should also be recognized that they are products of privilege. Though many concerns surrounding the use of technological sex products may have value, modern issues regarding sex beg new innovations for solutions. “Using technology to enhance sexual pleasure is as limitless as the imagination,” (Chansanchai). The use of technology in our daily lives has become so standard that we rarely think of how things would be without it. Whether for therapy, or enhancement, as an assisting or main role, technology provides us accessible means of capability, assistance and solutions that we have been conditioned to depend on in many instances. From computers and cell phones, to scientific tools and modes of transportation, we look to technology to answer our questions, simplify our tasks, and make possible the impossible. However, we often neglect to see how our reliance on such tools has changed our world. Inevitably so, as the technologies we use change, so do the ways in which we live our lives. Works Cited
1. 2007. Photograph. Snag.wordpress. 17 Oct. 2007. Web. http://snag. wordpress.com/2007/10/17/cell-phone-pocketin-womans-underwear/.
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