Sex-e-Work: An Exploration on the Rise of OnlyFans as a Space for Sexually Explicit Content

Abstract

OnlyFans is a platform that has become well-known for creators selling sexually explicit content, where creators share their content with fans, often for a monthly subscription fee. Currently, little is known within an academic context about the platform and its creators of adult content. Specifically, this study sought to understand how creators experience their platform, understand their labour, and how their experiences intersect with or diverge from current understandings of sex work. To understand the lived experiences of OnlyFans creators of sexually explicit content, nine qualitative interviews and a visual content analysis of 10 creators different from those interviewed were conducted. My research illustrates how there are parallels between OnlyFans creators of sexually explicit content and other forms of sex work however, creators are experiencing sex work in new manners, particularly within a digital environment.