In current society, isolation is not by accident. Since the 20th century, we have lived inspired by modernity as a lifestyle and we do not consider if our desires are the product of our own thought or if they were acquired from mass media. After the 70’s, technology has helped to increase the distances even more. It became possible to go anywhere and reach almost anyone at any time, but how deep are these connections?
The compression of time and space (HARVEY, 1990) is something we learned to desire and take advantage in our relationships as well. Nevertheless, this is doesn’t mean that our lives became easier, regarding our emotional and sexual aspects. That’s why cam sites became useful and they have an important role to fulfill in this scenario. Adult camming is a service that is available to address some issues related to the time and age we live in.
Nevertheless, let’s keep in mind that people are not products, but the spirit of the time is one that reduces everyone to what they can offer and how long they can offer this for. Maybe you have already noticed that the length of a relationship is shorter and more shallow than they used to be in the past: many marriages do not last more than 10 years, and dating rarely surpasses two years.
Have you ever noticed that the same standard repeats itself in everything we can observe around us; everything we buy has a short useful life, such as: two years for a cellphone, five years for a notebook computer, eight years for a car, and so on.
Such superficiality is one that can take many shapes, thus, it is referred to as “liquid” by Zigmunt Bauman (2000, 2002). This ephemerality, transience, and volatility altogether, encompassing virtual space and detaching from the spirit of the physical presence. In our lives we have become accustomed to living the moment and replacing things when they break. What about the camgirls—what to expect from this kind of relationship? Here we should distinguish freemium services from premium ones:
•FREEMIUM EXPERIENCE
A crowded free chat room is full of people that make many requests related to the model’s body while not allowing a deep human connection. It is a very simple exchange: an object (the body) for another object (tips). This kind of work is preferred by a very specific psychological type of model: an exhibitionist that likes to be seen and is genuinely sexually aroused by showing off her body without really engaging in a conversation. This type of platform is suitable for the consumer who is looking for instant sexual satisfaction, without too much interaction with the model. However, it’s important to point out at this moment that based on neuroscience studies, anxiety (CYRULNIK, 2003) is related to (1) an individual's life history, (2) biological factors (3), and environmental factors. The lack of human connection (objectification in videochat) is one of the greatest reasons to the increase of anxiety levels in both performers and users. According to social science studies (BAUDRILLARD, 1996, 1998), objectification means the reduction of the human totality to the physical aspect only and its usefulness for the current moment.
•PREMIUM EXPERIENCE
On the other hand, premium cam-sites, gives the opportunity to the models to build connections, thus establishing rapport due to the fact that the conversation happens on a one-to-one basis. The workflow is not only limited to the payment that is involved, yet it can become a genuine relationship between people. Since the model remembers the member’s name, his personal characteristics, his particular tastes, she must feel authentic affection for her favorite users. That’s how models become a reliable “partner in crime” to help cope with more than only sexual matters, but also the hardship of modern life. The girls who prefer to take part in premium cam sites are more the low-profile type; they are not only capable of putting on a sexy show but also gentle and caring and able to listen and understand the feelings and needs from the other side. It might be a great place for anxiety relief, good conversation with someone with empathy and some sexy time (why not?).
I don’t claim to be a specialist in relationships—only in social science!—but I try to look into this matter from the perspective of human relationships, and a very important one is reciprocity (MAUSS, 2002). In other words, what you give is what you should expect in a balanced way. In practical terms, a freemium experience is one, which provides instant sexual satisfaction and a premium experience is more about interactivity and connection for both sides involved (models and users). Finally, it is important to point out that despite what the customers are looking for, the models should be respected in personal and professional terms whatever the platform.
The reason for this text is to show that the "New Camming Perspective" also wants to reach the users in order to explain that premium services are more similar to an affair than a quickie. On the other hand, the premium camgirls want to provide affection and receive some care in return.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
BAUDRILLARD, J. The System of Objects. Verso Press USA. (1996)
____________. The Consumer Society: Myths and Structures. SAGE Publications Ltd. (1998)
BAUMAN, Z. Liquid modernity. Cambridge: Polity Press. (2000)
_________. Liquid Love: On the Frailty of Human Bonds. Cambridge: Polity Press. (2003)
CYRULNIK, B. The Whispering of Ghosts: Trauma and Resilience. Ed. Odile Jacob. (2003)
HARVEY, D. The Condition of Postmodernity: An Enquiry into the Origins of Cultural Change. Oxford: Blackwell. (1990)
MAUSS, M. The Gift: The Form and Reason for Exchange in Archaic Societies. London and New York. (2002)
Dr. Priscila Magossi is a journalist (Mackenzie-SP/Brazil, 2002-2005), with a Master’s degree (2006-2008) and a Ph.D. (2010-2014) in Communication and Semiotics (PUC-SP/Brazil). Since she has started her journey in the communication field, she has been studying the impacts of the Mass Media and the Cyberculture in the post-modern society, focusing primarily on the social bonds dynamics.
Regarding her main activities in the camming industry, Dr. Magossi is the author of the New Camming Perspective: a formal study about camming that also looks into the porn industry, the mainstream media, and social behavior in order to draw conclusions. This new approach for understanding camming is centered on the main concepts of (1) Building Connections between models and members through the (2) Social Aspect of Camming, which is only possible to be developed when in touch with access to the (3) Social Traffic.
