The Evolution of Intimacy
From Facebook to sex blogs, from Grindr to “sexting,” the private has become the public. Love letters have been replaced by e-mails and text messages, diaries have become public blogs, and teens and young adults have moved, “I’ll show you mine if you’ll show me yours” onto their cell phones.
Every couple has to negotiate the specifics of privacy; what exactly is on- or off-limits when it comes to discussing their relationship and sex life. This isn’t a new phenomenon, but it certainly is a more complicated one now that Facebook and Twitter have made every little tidbit that you share indexable and searchable. Depending on how closely you monitor your privacy settings, your declarations could be open to your high school sweetheart, your boss … or your grandmother. (Warning: Facebook’s default privacy setting is “Privacy? What privacy?”)
Luckily for us, not everyone is concerned about keeping relationships and sex lives private. The Internet has given exhibitionists an inexpensive and easy venue, and turned the rest of us into voyeurs. Websites like XTube and Cam4 have shifted masturbation from a lonely act into a performance art, and private bedroom exchanges into pornography. While most of the videos and photos, the blog posts and the tweets won’t ever add up to much outside of titillation, there are projects that have transcended mere exhibitionism.
Every couple has to negotiate the specifics of privacy; what exactly is on- or off-limits when it comes to discussing their relationship and sex life. This isn’t a new phenomenon, but it certainly is a more complicated one now that Facebook and Twitter have made every little tidbit that you share indexable and searchable. Depending on how closely you monitor your privacy settings, your declarations could be open to your high school sweetheart, your boss … or your grandmother. (Warning: Facebook’s default privacy setting is “Privacy? What privacy?”)
Luckily for us, not everyone is concerned about keeping relationships and sex lives private. The Internet has given exhibitionists an inexpensive and easy venue, and turned the rest of us into voyeurs. Websites like XTube and Cam4 have shifted masturbation from a lonely act into a performance art, and private bedroom exchanges into pornography. While most of the videos and photos, the blog posts and the tweets won’t ever add up to much outside of titillation, there are projects that have transcended mere exhibitionism.
Really enjoyed this article, it is a nice overview of how the internet culture is changing the idea of "privacy" and how that, in turn, is affecting our views of sexuality. Thanks!
This is a great article. You're right about the fact that there is limited privacy. There is disgusting crap all over the internet as well, and it influences those who are eager to try new things, to do things that are corrupt and disgusting. Sexuality views are changing, and a lot of values are still sexist, but I really am one to appreciate this site, as it doesn't introduce those views. On Eden Fantasys, rights are equal, for all partners, and there are no sexist views that I can see, or very very few.