With virtual reality comes the potential for more intimate sexual experiences – but, experts warn the technology could also lead to morally questionable behaviour.

At the CHI 2017 conference, researchers presenting the findings of a new study explained how the increasing reality of VR systems could give rise to two different scenarios, both with potentially detrimental outcomes.

The experts argue that VR porn could lead to unrealistic expectations for the sexual experience, or could even have more extreme effects, by allowing some to ‘push the boundaries’ and delve into violent and abusive content.

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With virtual reality comes the potential for more intimate sexual experiences – but, experts warn the technology could also lead to morally questionable behaviour. people could make a VR character modeled after their own real-life partner, for example. A stock image is pictured

THE RISE OF VR PORN Originally launched in 2016, Pornhub VR content was just 30 videos and now it has more than 2,600. VR porn videos are watched 500,000 times a day with visitors typically watching 11 videos instead of the 9 in a standard visit. Men are 160 per cent more likely to use virtual reality when watching porn. Those between the age of 25 to 34 are 47 per cent more likely to use VR than other age groups. On Christmas day in 2016 VR porn videos were watched three times more than average during that period. According to to PornHub this was because they were popular presents and one of the first people wanted to try out. Advertisement

In the study, the researchers from Newcastle University analyzed the responses of 45 volunteers after each completed their first virtual reality porn experience as a fictional character named ‘Jack.’

‘We grouped the stories into two,’ said lead researcher and PhD student Matthew Wood.

‘The first group was what we called the ‘perfect’ scenario – some were lavish and fantastical, others were quite close to reality, but all of them were the perfect sexual experience, described by our participants as ‘better than the real thing.’

‘The second was the ‘precarious’ experience, and these stories often went beyond what would be acceptable in real life with sometimes violent imagery, featuring men performing degrading sexual acts on women or forcing themselves upon them.’

The researchers say the fast-growing capabilities of virtual reality could soon bring these scenarios to life.

This could mean, for example, that models based on images of real people could one day be used as a form of revenge porn.

Or, they say, people could make a VR character modeled after their own real-life partner – but, the virtual character would not be able to say ‘no.’

The researchers point to current examples of sexism and exploitation seen today, from the idea of a ‘perfect virtual woman, from Lara Croft to sex-robots.’

With virtual reality, this phenomenon could escalate, they warn.

‘Our research highlighted not only a drive for perfection, but also a crossover between reality and fantasy,’ said Dr Madeline Balaam, co-author of the research.

‘Some of our findings highlighted the potential for creating 3D models of real life people, raising questions over what consent means in VR experiences.

In the study, the researchers from Newcastle University analyzed the responses of 45 volunteers after each completed their first virtual reality porn experience as a fictional character named ‘Jack.’ A stock image is pictured

EVOLUTION OF SEX A recent report from Bondara claims: By 2030, most people will have some form of virtual sex as casually as they browse porn today. By 2035 the majority of people will own sex toys that interact with virtual reality sex. 'Sexbots' will start to appear in high-income, very wealthy households as soon as 2025. Sex with robots will be more popular than human-human sex in 2050. Love and the act of sex is set to become increasingly separate, with relationships increasingly becoming based on more than just sex. Advertisement

‘If a user created a VR version of their real life girlfriend, for example, would they do things to her that they knew she would refuse in the real world?

‘In the past, pornography has been driven by the industry but if the future of pornography is virtual then perhaps it’s time for us to take greater responsibility for how we allow this to develop.’

Throughout the years, the evolution of pornography has gone hand-in-hand with the emergence of new technology.

But, virtual reality offers the unprecedented ability to ‘move from being simply an observer to being a participant,’ Wood explained.

The implications of such a shift could be far more serious than what’s been seen in the past, the researcher suggests.

‘One of our findings suggested VR pornography could be something more like cheating on a partner because of the increasing ‘reality’ of the VR experience.

‘We found that for most people the potential of a VR porn experience opened the doors to an apparently ‘perfect’ sexual experience – a scenario which in the real world no-one could live up to.

‘For others it meant pushing the boundaries, often with highly explicit and violent imagery, and we know from current research into pornography that exposure to this content has the potential to become addictive and more extreme over time.’

Throughout the years, the evolution of pornography has gone hand-in-hand with the emergence of new technology. But, virtual reality offers the unprecedented ability to ‘move from being simply an observer to being a participant,’ Wood explained. Stock image

But, it isn’t all bad.

The researchers say VR porn could also be used to help users put themselves in others’ shoes, with hopes this could teach them better moral practices.

‘Pornography has been with us forever and is not going to go away,’ said Balaam. ‘But maybe virtual reality gives us the opportunity to influence pornography and introduce some new rules.

‘Imagine a scenario, for example, where a male participant is made to assume the female role in the virtual game.’

‘The future for VR pornography could be more positive, if designed in a certain way,’ Wood added.

‘In our research we also saw suggestions that VR could deliver more embodied sensory experiences, with more emphasis on subtlety and the relational aspects of sexual experiences.’