It has become evident that Technology is affecting our Sexuality.  From how we form, maintain, and end relationships to how we seek and have sex, technology has a pervasive impact on every facet of our sexuality. As such, the lexicon of dating has evolved to include terms like swiping left, swiping right, ghosting, breadcrumbing, catfishing, and hatfishing among many others.  While advances in sex toys include smart toys, wearables, artificially intelligent toys, remote controls, virtual reality (VR) pornography, customization with 3-D printing, toys with built in cameras, and advances in sex dolls as some examples.

This project sets out to investigate the ways in which technology is changing sexuality, as it revolutionizes the ways in which we seek and select partners, shapes the types of encounters we engage in, and re-writes our scripts for erotic action. Spike Jonze’s 2013 film Her portrays the unlikely relationship with Theodore and Samantha, the virtual assistant of his operating system.  Samantha asks in the film: “Like are these feelings even real?  Or are they just programming?”  How will continued advances in technology impact our relationships?

Activities

Conferences
1st Global Conference
Saturday 1st December – Sunday 2nd December 2018
Vienna, Austria

Call for papers, presentations and participation now active.