Sex in 140 characters

(www.quo.es)

ANYWHERE (we’re guessing) – The world – or the sexual part of it, anyway – has been taken over by Twitter and other ‘social media’ (should that now be ‘Sexual media?). The popularity of the networks has focused the mind (the mind?!), making necessity the mother of invention (which it always was anyway). At any rate, that’s what several serious (and other) sources say, which have kindly been made into a fascinating article in Quo Magazine, and which we translate and/or interpret and/or edit below (people of a certain age should probably stop reading here, but we leave that to their parents or their children) (WARNING: this item contains adult material that some readers may find offensive. PARENTS: You are warned.):

One hundred characters leave plenty of room for such as finding a partner, temporary or otherwise, the realisation or otherwise of our wildest fantasies, sharing … you get the idea.

Psychologist Martina González Veiga says that Twitter is one of the networks that opens the fan of possibilities when it comes to picking up the opposite sex (ligar in Spanish, as your children-of-a-certain-age will tell you). We can relate immediately and concisely, and show the world the best of ourselves, even when it comes to the erotic side [of our natures].” She adds that it makes sex more normal, breaks taboos and adds humour to our relationships. “It is a fabulous tool that breaks the ice and allows to relax more easily than if [the initial stages] were face-to-face.”

Fever pitch

The temperature on Twitter (I don’t do Twitter – yet, so I wouldn’t know) rises to fever pitch on such ‘designated’ days as Female Orgasm Day, Breast Day, Twitter Dildonics, TwitterSutra or Flash Mob. I won’t go into details about any of these, principally because I haven’t seen any of them in order to form an opinion – but I do know that Spain is very liberated sexually; not that any of the above are exclusively Spanish. Many of them are apparently ‘created’ in South America, Chile being the main ‘provider’, say some, with Argentina close behind (pun intended).

According to the article that originated this item, the most unbridled orgies are organized through the Net, giving date, time, place and price of a ‘gathering’. These are usually held in hotels, with participants largely in the 30 to 60 age range.

Sociologist Francesc Núñez Monteo says that this rapidly rising trend places before a new dimension in terms of understanding eroticism: “It is more in the open, freer and varied. It breaks old habits but is much more natural for those born [in this era of social networks].”

We need to be admired

Núñez goes further: “The kind of sexuality that is practiced on the Net shows an evident desire to be admired and more attractive [given that we can create our own ‘selves’ behind anonymity]. While it is certainly true that body-to-body contact [is a luxury to be preferred], the social media open up the [range of] possibilities, saving time and space. The sexual ‘feedback’ is very suggestive. And since initial responses are rarely immediate, the behaviour is more uninhibited and daring.”

However, the Internet is full of misinformation, which can and does result in users having the same kind of doubts they had before its advent, and often don’t know which content is to be trusted.

People who fill their accounts with erotic content tend to describe themselves as erotic writers, communicators or sex therapists, to name a few. They often use very explicit ‘handles’ that might or might not describe their preferences. A lot of grooming goes on here, too, according to the Policía Nacional unit specialising in paedophile crime.

“We must be aware that when we put something up on the Net, it is very difficult, even impossible, to erase it later. We leave traces on the Net, offering much information about ourselves, but we don’t need to become obsessive about security,” says psychologist Martina González.

Is sex addictive or not?

The matter is not yet defined, according to a study by Cambridge University in the UK.

Scientists scanned the brains of 19 adult men while they watched pornographic material. The magnetic resonance results showed that the same areas of the brain are activated as those that become so in drug addicts: the ventral stratum, the anterior cingulate cortex and the amygdala.

Nevertheless, these investigators doubt that this is addiction as such, but do point out that timely intervention to break the cycle could prevent anything worse. Other research says that any obsessive or compulsive form of behaviour can be called addiction. The way I see it is that if it gets in the way of a ‘normal’ life, it’s probably advisable to do something about it. You decide.

Points to ponder: Sex is a natural part of our lives, pornography is not.  

(Website in English: Sex Addicts Anonymous, in Spain)

(Original source: Quo)