B-Part Am Gleisdreieck
18:45 - 19:15
English
Talk
Everyone
EmanziTech
The Digisexual Revolution: Sex and New Technology

Kurzthese

Sex as we know it is changing. I take the audience on a tour of sexual technologies past and present, and explain how a new wave of technologies offer an immersive sexual experience unlike anything that has come before. These technologies are leading to the emergence of a new sexual identity: “digisexuality”. I engage participants in a discussion about their use of sexual technologies. And I urge: Don’t panic. While the technologies present challenges, they also offer exciting opportunities.

Beschreibung

This talk is about "digisexuality": a term coined by me and Prof. Markie Twist to describe the various technologies people use in their sex lives and relationships. It will begin with a presentation designed to introduce participants to the fascinating past and wild future of sexual technology, from computer dating to teledildonics and robot sex. It will then discuss the emergence of a new sexual identity. According to our research, people have begun to identify as digisexuals: people whose sexual identity comes primarily through the use of technology. I will engage participants in a discussion of the use of technology in their intimate lives, and of the impact technology has had on their own sexual identity. I will present a newly-developed conceptual schematic to help people understand both the challenges and opportunities presented by their use of sexual technologies. The talk aims to be both informative and interactive. Its overall message is: don't panic. I will challenge the prevailing media narrative, that new sexual technologies are bound to harm us and our relationships. Though I discuss various potential issues that can arise from the use of sexual technologies, I will argue that these new technologies are both exciting and socially beneficial. They can help provide access to sex for people who, for various reasons, find it difficult or do not want to connect with human partners, and they can help enhance the sex lives of people in relationships. I also discuss how they may impact institutions like marriage and monogamy.

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