#SexTechTalk Ep IV (March 26, 2015): Technology & Fetish

Excited folks from all over converged on the Twitterverse for the fourth installment of #SexTechTalk, BaDoink.io’s biweekly chat about SexTech. This time, it was helmed by writer and fetish cam performer Kitty de Vine, who brought with her the theme of fetish and its link to technology. Meaning… an important conversation for the camming universe.

de Vine’s first question was about toys used in BDSM. She asked the participants how technology has changed the fetish world, and the immediate responses included how safety has improved, as well as intimacy at a distance. Sssh.com encapsulated the first round of answers in a well-crafted tweet linking BDSM and communications technology.

Of course, this was followed by participants commenting on how people are now in fetishized relationships with their devices, including a few tweets about more enjoyable uses of cellphone vibrate functions. BaDoink editor John Lane described humans as technological and sexual species, the two facets of our nature invariably linked.

This led perfectly to de Vine’s next question, in which she asked if anyone had heard of technology fetishes, and whether or not SexTech is in and of itself a fetish. According to folks in the chat, people fetishize technological objects, and have done for some time. Folks brought up the Sybian, for example, as a fetish all its own, others cited online adult content as a broad range of fetishes, and de Vine responded to lustful thoughts about robot voices with a reminder of the AOL woman.

For the third question, de Vine asked participants to ponder the evolutions in kink and technology, now that kink is receiving more mainstream attention. Many believed that technology will continue to expand people’s perceptions of sex and their ability to explore with more information. Angelina from Blindfold Club reminded chatters the impact of apps like Tinder, and Lane spoke highly of accessibility technology is offering – kinksters can now find each other with ease. de Vine, following Lane’s ideas, remarked on the fight against repression.

The only cautionary comment was from Sssh.com, who worried about physical intimacy being lost.

People did agree that some amount of physical intimacy will be replaced by tech, but overall the response to this was simply how empowering technology could be for people who feel they are alone in how they feel sexually. As sex has always driven innovation in some way, shape, or form, the theory seems to be that it will remain a potent seasoning to a human interaction that will never disappear entirely.

After this, de Vine asked participants ways in which more awareness of technology could be brought to the kink world, outside of mainstream media. Many people mentioned the #SexTechTalk itself, as well as newer search engines and social media platforms. HerSweetSweat declared that honest conversation, between real people, was the best method, and Lane called for public exposure and redefinitions of how kinks are perceived.

Participants mentioned problems of the mainstream, as well as issues within the kink communities themselves. Adult search engine Boodigo brought up that there needs to be more adult friendly platforms for conversation, noting that some information sites hoard. de Vine, besides agreeing that there is an opening for these platforms, mentioned that within the kink world, there is a good deal of divisiveness.

Finally, de Vine asked the chat if the world is a fetish-friendly place, and how people, and their technology, can help. The main consensus seemed to be proliferation of education – Condoms.org noted that ignorance can lead to fear and poor judgments. To that, people urged those in the scene to open up to the mainstream, so more honest communication could take place. Also, adult management and media company 7 Veils declared that the cause should dramatically grasp mainstream’s attention, and not shy away from correcting people.

Overall, the fourth #SexTechTalk was enjoyable, highly informative, and ever so thought provoking. To participate in biweekly SexTechTalks, all you have to do is follow the hashtag #SexTechTalk for updates on the date and time, and get ready to explore the coming wave of the future. Interested in reading more? This entire SexTechTalk appears here on Storify, and you can browse the entire archives on the profile page. See you at the next #SexTechTalk!

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