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Today’s article will focus on two of the most groundbreaking technologies of the last couple of decades, and take an ethical approach to determine how their advanced and immersive capabilities influence the quality of our lives. The debate itself is very important in a society of open and liberalized sexuality, as adult content has become a huge part of our daily entertainment, has proved its benefits in terms of reducing sexual frustration and rape, and these technical innovations are perpetually thinning out the line between real life and mere digital illusions.
In its most basic sense, the science of ethics tries to measure and conceptualize the interactions between the self and other individuals or entities. Accordingly, knowing the difference between what is real and what is not shall be considered a fundamental mean which allows us to maintain our personal code of conduct, and ultimately distinguish between the way we act in a digital world and our public persona. Is it ethical to interact with a man-made machine in order to maximize our personal happiness? Definitely, yes! But if the interaction itself affects the way you behave with others, then this is where the real problems begin. But for the sake of simplifying this ethical approach, it shall be settled that a better distinguishing between reality and virtual fiction is a basic tool of holding onto the grip tightly and not having our behavior altered to a dramatic level. Nobody would want to act in day to day life in the same manner they would in a porn production.
With the VR headset on, you can definitely tell that this is just like a dream.
Image Credit: VR Bangers.
When attempting to determine the best way to consume porn in order to keep our sense of reality while also getting the maximum amount of satisfaction, there are multiple factors to be taken into consideration.
Correspondingly, for the sake of presenting a concise analysis, two fundamental variables will be analyzed: satisfaction (defined as the sexual pleasure felt during simulated intercourse) and the user’s connection to the real world.
Last but not least, before getting into specifics and scrutinize the two technologies (and their porn capabilities), one must analyze their nature. In a nutshell, virtual reality (VR) consists of a pair of goggles or a visual headset which fully immerses the user into a very realistic world of digital illusion. Notable examples include Nintendo’s failed mid-1990s console the Virtual Boy, but also the contemporary innovations that provide us with unbelievably realistic and mind-boggling content: the Oculus Rift, the HTC Vive, the Playstation VR headset, and the Google Cardboard goggles (among other lesser-known products).
Image source: JulyRapid.com.
Conversely, augmented reality (AR) is a much more complex concept which involves either visual projections of a digitized world in our real environment, or a specific piece of software which places virtual entities in specific locations and allows users to discover them through a device. An example for the first can be any hologram or two-dimensional projection we have ever seen, while Pokemon Go and the Google Glass are the best known illustrations of mixing real life with fiction through a handheld device.
A. VR Porn
After having defined the terms and settled the criteria, it’s time to get to the showdown between the two standards. Obviously, as the title suggests and as the nature of the website implies, the perspective will rely on experiences with pornography.
Remember that scene from Cameron Crowe’s 2000 masterpiece “Almost Famous” when the lead guitarist of the fictional band is asked “What do you like about music?” and his reply is “To begin with, everything!”. Well, if I were to be asked the same question about VR porn, my response wouldn’t be any different. It blows my mind how believable the action is and how it can happen right in front of my eyes.
I wish this was real… but then again, this strapped headset keeps me in check. Image Credit: VirtualRealPorn.
If I feel stressed, I just put my VR headset on and take a trip to the erotic paradise where every fantasy of mine can come true. And somehow, this is what it’s all about: it’s not a tool that tries to replace reality, it’s just a supplement for my imagination. More precisely, VR porn takes my fantasies and makes them happen. It’s high-quality, doesn’t lag, doesn’t depend on the light conditions or amount of space available in room, and features a certain (though limited) degree of interactivity which will certain improve as time goes by.
It’s the perfect escape from the dull and mundane 9 to 5 life I live.
But now let’s look at the two given criteria: satisfaction and relation to the real world.
In terms of satisfaction, it’s great: and what makes it a lot better is my sexual partner who stimulates me when I use the headset and makes sure that I get the best kind of orgasm. It certainly isn’t a replacement for our “classic” and natural sex, but it’s a tool that allows us to explore our fantasies in a way we could only dream of: sometimes I just lie on my back and watch a beautiful lady tease me through the headset while I get a gentle handjob, and other times I try to replicate the hardcore sex I see through the headset. Of course, it’s also a great device to enjoy all alone and if you get bored of your own predictable touches, there is an impressive variety of Teledildonics. They can’t compare to the tenderness of a lover, but they can spice up your routine. Ethically speaking, it’s just as harmless as masturbating to magazines and will probably never affect your real-life interactions in a negative way (unless you suffer from certain mental problems or get overexposed to the VR realm – which you shouldn’t). Given these arguments and the room that’s left for improvement, I will give VR porn a confident 8.5/10.
When we take into account our own grip of reality, the situation is really straight-forward: putting on the headset whenever you want to watch porn is really convenient and helps you distinguish between what is real and what is not. It’s like having a switch that you can turn on and off at anytime. Or, more precisely, it’s like telling the difference between a dream and reality, though the memories will remain there. Can VR porn cause the kind of addiction that would make you helplessly beg for more? Well, that’s a personal problem that can be related to your will power. If you are the addict type and can’t stop until you finish the whole bag of M&Ms, then you will most likely indulge much more into this kind of digital entertainment. Ethical problems might arise if you become addicted to VR porn, but the chances to confuse what is real to what you see through the headset are very slight. Accordingly, it gets a 9/10 in terms of separating the real world from fiction.
B. AR Porn
Today’s technological development hasn’t allowed us to benefit from virtual sex through devices like Google Glass, or even projections. However, we have to admit that the concept (at least to my current understanding) seems pretty pointless and stupid: while you can project a pornstar through technology, it will be like having a ghost in your room. The overall experience will hugely differ according to the light conditions, and it will all seem weird. Of course, seeing a naked woman in your bed can seem great, but part of the charm of VR porn that AR can never replicate is the atmosphere: augmented reality doesn’t allow you to get transported into another time and space, and this might severely reduce your excitement and arousal. Ultimately, you will feel just like in a strip club where you cannot touch any of the dancers, which sounds pretty weird and anti-climatic in my book.
This is a lot more exciting because the environment tells a story of itself and it completes the experience. Image Credit: VirtualTaboo.
Accordingly, in terms of excitement, AR porn is very limited and doesn’t seem to have much to offer in relation to the greater VR experience. Having a sex god or goddess in your room and not being able to touch is really disappointing and most of the atmosphere is lost in the lack of variety: you can change the performers and what they do, but it will still take place in your dull room and seem out of place (unless, of course, you’re a fan of the concept). But for me, the excitement towards such a development is comparable to 3D porn: it can be nice to have, but it’s just a gimmick that you get tired of. It has many more limitations than a VR universe which can be shaped from scratch to create something new. That is why I can’t give this concept a higher grade than 6/10.
If we forget about excitement and try to figure out how AR porn will make us feel in relation to reality, well… this is where it gets confusing. How are we supposed to tell the difference between what is real and what is not when we have projections? Maybe that AR glasses act much like a VR headset for now and place virtual objects in our sight: but once we get to projections, then it will certainly become weird for our social norms and interactions.
If taking a headset off brings you back to reality like an “off” switch, then getting used to ghosts in your environment can cause psychological trauma and confusion.
Ethically, I think this is dangerous, as visions of a virtual world in our real lives can alter our perception of what is natural. Call me a conservative, but I can’t rate this relation to real world higher than 4/10 and I still think it can be dangerous for the human mind and our behavior.
C. Conclusion
In the end, this evaluation is bound to my subjective perspective on the two technologies and theis application in pornography. It might be that I’ve been harsher to the idea of AR porn just because I’ve never experienced it and it isn’t commercially available, yet my ethical criticism regarding its destruction of the line between reality and fiction still stands. I think having the “off” switch and separating the two realms is the better choice for our mental health.
VR porn is my personal choice for its ability to immerse you in various stories and settings, but also for its extended ability to keep your mental sanity. Image Source: WANKZVR.
Accordingly, my scores for the two media are:
VR Porn – 8.75/10.
(Hypothetical) AR Porn – 5/10.
Is your opinion different? Would you have rated the two technologies differently? Please let me know in the comment section
I think everybody knows the word VR and virtual reality. Really only a very small group of tech nerds can you tell you that AR is different.
I think that AR will just be called VR by most people. That’s already how it is.
I think that vr porn will always be the thing. VR porn can do everything that AR porn, but an infinite amount of things more.
You like having a hot babe sitting next to you while you work in your office? Yeah, that’s cool. You can do that in VR in your virtual work environment. Or you can hang out with her at the beach or watch a movie on Mars.
Wow, this is some deep writing! This blog is pretty impressive.