Sex and tech

TMSA

Technology-mediated sexual activities

Non-arousal TMSA

Not focused on sexually stimulating materials/immediate sexual gratification

3 types of non-arousal TMSA

Seeking info about sexual health, products, potential sexual interactions

Pros of seeking information through tech

Affordable, accessible, anonymous/private, fast

EX: finding education and community online when often excluded from traditional sex ed programs = identity affirmation (COVID)

Cons of seeking info through tech

Unwanted, false, misleading info

EX: misinformation about masturbation/pornography even might seem reputable

Myths related to masturbation/porn

Strain life force and increase testosterone

Not classified as addictive under the DSM

Porn as a source of misinformation

Adolescents who watch porn = + likely to have incorrect beliefs abt sexual activity

Rothman study

Porn literacy program can improve knowledge abt porn-related misinformation

Seeking info through tech will lead to professional or user-generated sources

Ig algorithm (not always explicitly looking for) and AI generated info/responses

Happy families planning service - use of tech in dating

Stanford study (1959) that mailed surveys and used computers to make matches

Why is there 40%+ gay couples meeting online

Websites targeting gay men are more common

Online dating is used by % of millenials versus % of gen Z

61% versus 26%

Hinge study

56% of users fear rejection preventing them from using the app until completion

Explain the increase in straight people using online dating

Less stigma today, more convinient, instant gratification/confidence boost, gamification

Ghosting

Research = rated morally acceptable when the relationship was shorter and lower intensity

Aggressive response online after rejection

70% of women vs 20% of men (insults, threats)

Paradox of choice

Rise of online dating coincides with + single people and - sexual activity for young people

Choice overload

Cognitive bias making it more difficult to make decisions with many options

EX: types of jams

Rejection mindset

Phenomenon related to online dating where ppl are more likely to reject prospective partners when they have more options available

What is the problematic behind the rejection mindset

The more options people think are available, the harder it is to commit to just one

Why does starting a relationship online usually lead to some level of disappointment in reality

Ability to curate an online persona and mask negative traits

Solitary arousal TMSA

One-way access to sexually explicit stimuli/material (erotic literature and porn)

2 varying branches of porn

Independent/feminist/queer VS mainstream

Hentai popularity

Form of anime that can depict both impossible and illegal scenarios (no constraints of human actors/legality)

2 hypothesis regarding the popularity of hentai

Easier to objectify an animation, fetishization of asian women, storytelling/fandom

Gender difference in porn use

Some differences in what stimuli provoked arousal but NO SIGNIFICANT gender differences in overall arousal

Objectification

Use of a person’s body for sexual gratification

Fetishization - reported in use of dating apps

Making someone an object of sexual desire based on some aspect of their identity (race, ethnicity, orientation)