Internet, sex and the

Abstract

Internet sex, or what is sometimes called “cybersex” can be experienced in a variety of forms, largely dependent on the medium through which sex and desire is expressed in communicative computer‐mediated environments. Although they can be combined, the basic forms are detailed: text, image, voice, webcam, and avatar Internet sex. Some empirical studies of Internet sex have focused on dynamics of the body and self, others have focused on gender. Most of the published scholarship, however, has focused on Internet sex as a social problem. While problems are certainly evident, these expressed concerns might be considered moral panic, and are historically traced with many communication technologies over the past century. In either case, understanding Internet sex as a problem inhibits understandings of how people use technologies for erotic purposes.