LOS ANGELES — Live webcam site Cam4.com has announced the findings of a new report conducted in conjunction with French survey institute, Ifop, that demonstrates the increase of sexual confidence by users of new communication tools and Internet technologies.
The study also found a noted decrease in sexual taboos, with users more open to trying and exploring their sexual limits and boundaries thanks to the convenience and anonymity of the Internet and its readily available sex games and activities.
“The use of new technologies for sexual purposes is also 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 states. “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, such as cell phones and webcams.”
In addition, the survey showed the viewing of live sex shows online as 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 reveals Americans' disposition towards having Internet-based sex as increasingly strong among those aged under 35, with more than 26 percent of all surveyed saying they have had sexual relations via a webcam, and 48 percent admitting they would take part in this type of experience if the opportunity was available.
Sexting, including selfies, or videos of a sexual nature, is also a particularly common habit amongst young people aged under 35 according to the report with 40 percent of women under age 35 admitting to having sent photos or videos in which they were nude or semi-clothed through cell phones and social media.
Additional increases in the 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 under age 35 reported to have filmed or photographed their exploits with a partner, and 48 percent said they would do so if the moment was right.
A popular myth debunked by the study is the notion porn consumption is a “shameful” and solitary activity, correlated with a lack of sexual activity. On the contrary, the report discovered the viewing of adult materials is highest among individuals with the most partners, or who have sexual relations most often. The standard profile of the modern adult video consumer, who admits to watching porn videos at least once per week, shows he/she has a more active sex life than average: 52 precent of people have one sexual relation per day, versus 19 percent, on average, 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 last four weeks. The report noted that porn can no longer be considered merely a replacement for an unsatisfactory sex life.
The increase in consumption of porn videos has also shown a boom in masturbation for both men and women with 78 percent of American males and 68 percent of American females admitting to having to have masturbated. This number jumps for those under age 35, with 88 percent of men and 79 percent of women participating in masturbatory activities. The Ifop report does suggest that the percentage of women may in fact be higher, since there is a tendency among women to under-report solitary sexual practices.
Overall, these results show that new technology-based sexual exchanges via platforms offer young people the ability to engage in seduction games or sex games they may not have the confidence to carry out in person, and has lead to the decrease in sexual taboos associated with gender, sexual preference, and sex acts in general.
Ifop said the survey “shatters certain preconceptions about pornography. It also provides an update on usages and modes of consumption, which have evolved significantly over the last 20 years.”The survey revealed that porn consumption has truly become widespread.
“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,” said Francois Kraus, Ifop research director.
The survey was conducted over the Internet, Dec. 19-26, 2013, on a sample of 1,023 people representative of the U.S. population, aged 18 and over. The quality of the sample was ensured by the quota method (gender, age, income, marital status) after stratification by region. The research company said due to the intimate nature of the subject it chose a method of auto-administration by computer, removing the bias created by the presence of an interviewer. This allowed for freer expression by individuals who would not have wanted to discuss certain subjects in the presence of an interviewer, or a person from their household.
“The Ifop survey shows how new technologies and communication methods have truly modernized the way Americans have sex,” said Jas Kase, Cam4 director of marketing. “They have also contributed to an evolved, sex-positive attitude. Through these findings, we have confirmed what we have seen on Cam4 — how cell phones, webcams, and the Internet have created a positive, healthy way for people to explore their sexuality, and have decreased sexual taboo. All of this has resulted in a much wider acceptance of people’s gender and sexual preferences, and overall desire for sexual exploration.”