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Kelsey Robbins
Dr. Carter
Sexuality
27 September 2009
Sex in the Virtual World
Many people who explore the virtual world will eventually come across some form of cybersex (virtual sex). A good way to meet people with the same interests is through Second Life. Second Life is a virtual world accessible via Internet. Second Life enables its users called avatars to explore, socialize and meet other residents; gamers can write programs to give their avatars to perform actions such as dancing and swimming. Now some gamers are using these programming tools to give their avatars genital and erotic outfits and have them engage in animated sex (Biever 30). Cybersex is becoming more common in the virtual world. There are many aspects to sexuality in Second Life whether it's through appearance, exploration, or through personal experiences.
Appearance can tell you a lot about a person. Whether it is through the choice of clothing to the way a person can style his or her own hair. Second Life bases a lot of its sexuality through the appearance of an avatar. After visiting Popfuzz Fashions, an erotic clothing store in Second Life, I was able to explore the different types of erotic clothing residents in Second Life might dress their avatars in. This includes pasties, corsets, lingerie, and sexy tattoos (Plush Gaga 226, 19, 23). Tiffany Widdershins, a virtual madam, quotes “the whole thing is pretty ridiculous really. . . but it is easy to look like a porn star. Widdershins’s avatar is a shapely woman, wearing a G-string, heels, and a sheer top. Some residents choose to role-play as children. Cybersex in Second Life involving adults playing the role of children has been controversial part of the virtual
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world for a long time (Wagner). Residents can change their body types to be desired more by the opposite sex.
There are many places to explore in Second Life. While Cybersex is popular in Second Life, it accounts for about three to five percent of content on the mainland (“Second Life”). Exploring through Second Life can give you a clear understanding of how cybersex works and operates. Cybersex allows people to explore their sexual fantasies, some of which are physically impossible in real life, by pretending to be the opposite sex, experimenting with homosexuality, owning a harmen of sex slaves, and more (Wagner). I was able to travel to several different islands and resorts that displayed many levels of sexuality. Some of these islands sell various items like, sex bed, realistic skins, and female genitalia (South Pacific VIII 31, 101, 24). The Cupid Lagoon resort actually displays several profile boxes of different residents in Second Life like women seeking women and women seeking men (The Cape 93, 158, 21). Residents are aloud to explore their sexuality is several ways in Second Life.
In a mini-dress, fishnet stockings, and studded knee high boots, [she] leads me [Celeste Biever] through the corridors of her Gothic castle. We stop to chat for a few minutes about the architecture of the building, before she takes me to bed, undresses me and we have sex (Biever 30). Several people in the virtual world experience cybersex first hand. Sex in Second Life starts with text chat and residents describe to one another to what they are imagining doing to each other in graphic terms. Widdershins is an owner of one of Second Life’s many bordellos (brothel, a house of prostitution). “The stuff that really seems to go is the kinky stuff” says Widdershins. “This is the place that guys and ladies do the stuff that they secretly want to try in real life, but likely never will.” Nudity and Sexual behavior is forbidden in Second Life outside of private areas and sex clubs.
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Free orgy rooms are a commonplace, where users can try out sexual apparatus and pose balls (Wagner). Residents hosting adult content on their areas of Second Life are required to flag the content (“Second Life”). From my personal experience I was able to visit Resort Kaiya Islands, a tropical hangout beach. Residents are able to meet for live music, entertainment, and romance. There is no public sex but there are sexy hidden huts where individuals can meet and explore their sexual fantasies together (The Bay 32, 180, 26).
There are many aspects to sexuality in Second Life whether it's through appearance, exploration, or through personal experiences. I learned a great deal of information about cybersex and sexuality. Sex may not be the most important aspect in Second Life but it is still a way people interact and spend their days. Second Life is spreading rapidly and more and more people are wanting to experience this sex life in the virtual world.
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Works Citied
The Bay 32 180 26 The Bay Tropical Island Hangout Beach Resort September 22, 2009.
Biever, Celeste. "The irresistible rise of cybersex: from full-on encounters to online
dating with a twist, simulated sex is on the up in mainstream gaming.(Technology)." New Scientist. 190. 2556 (June 17, 2006): 30(2). Student Resource Center - Gold. Gale. Lees Summit North High School. 10 Sep. 2009
.
The Cape 93, 158, 21 Cupid Lagoon resort Kaiya Islands September 24, 2009.
Mitch Wagner. "Sex Is Integral to Virtual Worlds." At Issue: What is The Impact of
Cyberlife?. Ed. Andrea Demott. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2008. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Lees Summit North High School. 27 Sep. 2009 .
Plush Gaga 226, 19, 23 Popfuzz Fashions September 20, 2009.
“Second Life Putting A Leash On Sex, Violence; The changes, which will go into effect
in early summer, will limit businesses featuring extreme adult content to red-light
districts of Second Life. (Linden Lab). “InformationWeek (March 12, 2009): NA.
General OneFile. Gale. MOREnet Lees’s Summit R-VII. 21 Sept. 2009 .
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South Pacific 31, 101, 24 Fantasylands September 22, 2009.
