The Digital Love Industry
Technology has changed the way we experience the world and each other, but at what cost? Case in point: the concept of sexuality in the field of virtual reality. This emerging field has become the tantalizing subject of a new documentary called “The Digital Love Industry.” Produced by VICE Media and hosted by correspondent Jo Fuertes-Knight, this film takes us on a global tour exploring the technologies that have the potential to complement (or harm) the future of human intimacy.
What if you could virtually simulate a sexual encounter with your favorite adult movie star or a partner you designed to your ideal specifications? What if you could take your long-distance relationship to the next level by creating a physical connection through specially designed entertainment equipment?
From virtual reality conferences in Los Angeles, to the porn capital of the world in the San Fernando Valley, to development companies in the Netherlands and Amsterdam, the digital love industry has shown us that the technology to make it all happen and more, right now exists. You have to see it to believe it.
Virtual reality represents the next evolution in connectivity, no longer on the nerd-dominated fringes. Just ask Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, who recently bought virtual reality leader Oculus VR and immediately pushed it into the mainstream.
Yet, like Facebook, the possibilities of virtual reality are both exciting and unsettling. In many ways, the advent of these advanced technologies connects us more than ever before, but as the film raises questions, they can also distance us from the uncomfortable but often rewarding rewards that actual physical contact can have. .
This is a dilemma we increasingly face in our modern technology-driven world, but it is especially relevant as it relates to virtuality and porn consumption. Could our ability to interact with our fantasies in hyper-real virtual environments do more harm than good? Or will our basic human need for face-to-face relationships finally prevail?
How will we define love and sex in the digital age? As the digital love industry neatly illustrates, the future of virtual sex has indeed begun, and as it unfolds, it may force us to do the same.
