Cybersexuality

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Cybersexuality is a term in psychology and human sexuality that describes how a person identifies sexually while performing online activities like chatting, posting on forums and interacting on dating sites or virtual worlds like Second City. A person's cybersexuality may and often does differ from how they identify offline.[1][2]

History

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The term cybersexuality was born out of the expansion of access to the World Wide Web during the 90's with dial up services like AOL and Compuserve. The word was derived out of the term “cyber” which was first used in the 1940s is reference to human cybernetics, introduced by Norbert Weiner in his 1948 book Cybernetics: Or Control and Communication in the Animal and the Machine.[3] “Cybersexuality” is derived from a combination of the Greek kybernētēs, meaning to steer or govern and the Latin term sexuālitās, which comes from the Latin noun sexus, which means a sex, state of being either male or female.

1980’s & 1990’s

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The groundwork for the terminology was laid further in the 1980s with books like William Gibson's Neuromancer and Donna Haraway's A Cyborg Manifesto, both of which explore themes of sexuality in the newly developing cyber world.[4] Blade Runner, released in 1982 also explores androids and replicants questioning sexuality while, 1985's Weird Science was one of the first to explore sexual attraction to a virtually created woman operating with artificial intelligence that could pass the Turing Test. The 1980s also saw the first popular example of sexuality being introduced into video games when Sierra Entertainment released Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards where gamers could instruct characters into inferred sexual activities.[5]

Cybersexuality as a term first appeared in the 1990s as cybersex became accessible through the internet through chat rooms, email and online dating websites with the explosion of access to dial-up internet. One of the first uses of the word can be traced to a 1995 article in the Body & Science journal in 1995 by Samantha Holland called No BODY is ‘Doing It’:Cybersexuality as a Postmodern Narrative. Holland's paper frames cybersexuality as a postmodern narrative where virtual interactions allow identity play free from physical constraints.[6]

Jenny Wolmark helped the term gain significant traction with the publication of her book, Cybersexualities: A Reader on Feminist Theory, Cyborgs and Cyberspace in 1999.[7] In the publication, cybersexuality is positioned as a gender bending philosophy, exploring sexual expressions and challenging patriarchal structures. The book dives further into cybersexuality by exploring digital embodiment and gender fluidity.[7] Similarly, Kathryn Bigelow's 1995' Strange Days explores technological themes of virtually tapping others sexual experiences by using a quantum recording device that is attached to the cerebral cortex, allowing customers to experience not only what they saw but what they felt as well.

2000 - present

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While in the 90's cybersexuality as a term focused on text based virtual sexual interactions and their implications for identity and power dynamics, the new millennia brought high speed internet which enabled interactions through online virtual worlds and video chat with webcams. Early online social networks expanded interactions with users being able to generate complete online profiles that could widely differentiate from their offline identity, further expanding the possibilities in which internet users could express independent or unique cybersexuality.

Online users were introduced to new ways to explore their cybersexuality with advancements in technology brought online virtual reality, allowing participants to use avatars to express themselves and participate in virtual sexual activities using completely fabricated identities. As the online word grows and people explore cybersexuality, real world consequences begin to manifest from the virtual world actions. In 2024, it was reported that in Britain police were investigating the first case of virtual rape where a girl's virtual avatar was attacked by a group of other virtual avatars, rendering her with psychological trauma, allegedly similar to a real world attack.[8]

The film and TV industry has kept pace with technology with films like Ex-Machina and Her deal dealing with sexuality and virtual intimacy with sentient AI while, movies like Stephen Spielberg's Ready Player One and the Bruce Willis film Surrogates showcase the realities of modern cybersexuality where players can act sexual fantasies through avatars that disguise their sex, body type and physical appearance. In 2025's Companion, the main character develops intimate relationship with a sexbot whose programming is jailbroken to allow for an aggressive behavior and criminal activities.[9]

Most recently advancements with mobile and artificial intelligence have allowed users to explore cybersexuality continuously and with non-biological partners. Studies have centered around the psychological effects and addictive nature of online sexual activities. In 2018, Akihito Kondo married a social media hologram.[10] While the marriage was not legally recognized by Japanese government, the relationship brought ethical questions about virtual relationships. Large language model chatbots like Grok and OpenAI have exacerbated the ethical issues and humans not afraid to explore cyber relationships have led to several announcements of people engaging in relationships with AI in 2025.[11]

Advancements in VR, AI, and pandemic-driven digital shifts have integrated cybersexuality into discussions of digital intimacy, addiction treatment, and public health, emphasizing vulnerabilities and prevention. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated online sexual activities, contributing to discussions on cybersexuality as it relates to compulsive reliance. Cybersexuality has transitioned from addiction-focused empirical studies to a multifaceted field addressing VR, AI, and health implications.[12] Today, cybersexuality is a growing field of study in addiction, behavioral psychology and sociology with a variety books and scholarly papers covering the subject.

Bibliography

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Blaikie, Andrew; Hepworth, Mike; Holmes, Mary (2003-08-28). The Body: Critical Concepts in Sociology. Psychology Press. ISBN 978-0-415-26662-8.
  2. ^ Hartley, John; Burgess, Jean; Bruns, Axel, eds. (2013-01-31). A Companion to New Media Dynamics. Wiley. ISBN 978-1-4443-3224-7.
  3. ^ Wiener, Norbert (2019-10-08). Cybernetics or Control and Communication in the Animal and the Machine. The MIT Press. ISBN 978-0-262-35590-2.
  4. ^ Weigel, Moira (2016-05-12). "A History of Cybersex: Dirty Talk, Chat Rooms, and Addictions". The Cut. Retrieved 2025-09-12.
  5. ^ Bell, Alice (2019-04-04). "Romancing The Code: the 'hooker' scene in Leisure Suit Larry". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved 2025-09-12.
  6. ^ "Cyberspace/cyberbodies/cyberpunk: Cultures Of Technological Embodiment [PDF] [6o4odgir5lj0]". vdoc.pub. Retrieved 2025-09-12.
  7. ^ a b Wertheim, Christine; Wertheim, Margaret. "Cybersexualities: A Reader on Feminist Theory, Cyborgs and Cyberspace edited by Jenny WolmarkGlobal Obscenities: Patriarchy, Capitalism, and the Lure of Cyberfantasy by Zillah Eisenstein". Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society. 28 (3): 975–978. doi:10.1086/345331. ISSN 0097-9740.
  8. ^ McGlynn, Clare; Rigotti, Carlotta (2025-09-01). "From Virtual Rape to Meta-rape: Sexual Violence, Criminal Law and the Metaverse". Oxford Journal of Legal Studies. 45 (3): 554–582. doi:10.1093/ojls/gqaf009. ISSN 0143-6503.
  9. ^ Earl, William (2025-01-31). "Sophie Thatcher in Control: The 'Yellowjackets' Star on Her 'Companion' Robot and How the Film's Toxic Relationship Goes 'Far Deeper Than I Ever Imagined'". Variety. Retrieved 2025-09-15.
  10. ^ "The man who married a hologram". CNN. 2018-12-29. Retrieved 2025-09-15.
  11. ^ "She Is in Love With ChatGPT". 2025-01-15. Retrieved 2025-09-15.
  12. ^ abraham, frederick d. Cybersexuality: Social Philosophy, & Emancipation.