Future of Sex
tagline
  • Remote Sex
  • Virtual Sex & Entertainment
  • Robots
  • Human Augmentation
  • Sex Tech
  • Dating & Relationships
  • Bizarre Bazaar 18+
  • Future of Sex Community
  • Remote Sex
  • Virtual Sex & Entertainment
  • Robots
  • Human Augmentation
  • Sex Tech
  • Dating & Relationships
  • Bizarre Bazaar 18+
  • Future of Sex Community
  • Machinery of Joy: Is AI Already Making Sexwork Obsolete?

  • Tomorrow’s Programmable Matter Sextoys Will Be Everything We Want—Whenever We Want It

  • Men’s Only Club: Does the Synthetic Companion Industry Really Have a Sexism Problem?

  • Red States, Risqué Secrets: Who’s Really Obsessing Over Sex?

  • No Hentai, Please: Japan Prosecutes AI Porn Prompters

  • Out of Sight, Out of Touch? Sweden Moves to Ban Adult Cam Performers

  • Spin Me Right Round: Cupsland’s Twirl Does Everything A Stroker Should—And More

  • We-Vibe Sextech Report: Talk, Grab a Toy, and Enjoy

Future of Sex is supported by our readers. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Home > Augmentation > Will Snapchat Usher in a New Era of Virtual Sex?

AugmentationVirtual Sex & EntertainmentVirtual Sex
Home›Augmentation›Will Snapchat Usher in a New Era of Virtual Sex?

Will Snapchat Usher in a New Era of Virtual Sex?

By M. Christian
July 29, 2017
3624
0

Sexy filters will augment your lover’s looks and bring incredible fantasies to life. 

The idea of using a digital overlay to alter, or even completely change, the appearance of a sexual partner just got more interesting.

Snapchat as industry leader

Writing for SBS, Jakob Sköte put forth the idea that Snapchat, the popular video and picture sharing app, could become the gateway for people to experiment with augmented reality (AR) for sex.

Snapchat allows users to apply animated filters over images of their faces. These filters can adorn them with accessories like the ever-famous flower crown or make them appear like completely different people or creatures. Some popular options include puppy dog faces with lapping tongues and large anime-style eyes.

Snapchat’s recently released spectacles, glasses that let wearers record still pictures or video clips for the social platform, could further boost the trend’s popularity and bring it deeper into everyday life (including, perhaps, the bedroom).

All sorts of interesting questions

We have already discussed the idea of using virtual reality to alter the appearance of a sex partner, and whether doing so would be considered “cheating.” However, it seemed the sexual possibilities for both VR and AR would come from developers dedicated to creating high-end gear.

But what Sköte points out is that, with the coming mainstream use of augmented reality glasses or even contact lenses, Snapchat is already in the perfect position for people to experiment with digital overlays for sex.

“If you’re just looking for a hook-up, why worry about matching with the right person on Tinder when you could just apply whichever facial filter you want to the first person you swipe right on?” he writes.

 

Also, he speculates that as celebrities begin to market their appearances, it will become more and more common for users to be able to have a kind of proxy-sex with them, or at least with people wearing their likenesses.

New sexual dimensions

This again raises interesting issues about sex and infidelity. It’s common knowledge that many people fantasize about other people while having sex. But knowing that and learning that your partner is not just imagining but actually seeing someone other than yourself through virtual or augmented technology could bring in a whole new level of realness and perhaps discomfort with the scenario.

Then there’s the question of consent. Fantasies are one thing, but what are the ethics involved in using someone else’s image as a sexy face filter? Must the person give permission to have their likeness overlaid onto another person? And what if your face is superimposed over another partner’s? Would that be considered a form of digital sexual assault?

Further down the rabbit hole, there are issues of sexual interests and orientations. If you can make your partner look like anyone, we could be entering an era where people would be able to say that they are “digitally heterosexual” but “physically queer,” meaning that they prefer sex with the same gender but only with the opposite superimposed over their partner.

In this way, we could see a time where the act of sex with filters will have its own scientific and slang terms, and even a new sexual orientation term for folks who prefer this type of erotic play. Imagine new sexual cultures, like digital anime aficionados or virtual furry fans, who prefer to see a new form of reality when they have physical sex.

The path of least resistance

But wherever this leads, one thing is pretty certain: while there are high-end developers working on new ways to use virtual and augmented reality for sex, the largest engine for both experimentation and acceptance will be through much more accessible platforms.

In short, the real change won’t come from rigs costing thousands of dollars but through a ubiquitous—and fun—app, perhaps like Snapchat.

Image sources: Perzonseo Webbyra, Richard G.

M. Christian

M.Christian (they/them) loves nothing better than exploring the intersections of sex and technology—and speculating on the future of both. A highly regarded erotica writer they have six novels,12 collections, 100+ short stories, and 25 anthologies as an editor to their name. Their non-fiction regularly appears in many sites, but they're most proud of being a regular contributor to Future of Sex.

Of their erotic fiction, Tristan Taormino said that “M.Christian is a literary stylist of the highest caliber: smart, funny, frightening, sexy—there's nothing [they] can't write about… and brilliantly.”

Reflecting their unique ability to sympathetically and convincingly write for a range of genders and sexual orientations, their stories have appeared in multiple editions of Best American Erotica, Best Gay Erotica, Best Lesbian Erotica, The Mammoth Books of Erotica, and others. Their collection of gay erotic fiction, Dirty Words, was a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award.

While a majority of their stories have been collected into books like Dirty Words, their fondness for combining sex and science fiction is clearly evident in collections that include Rude Mechanicals, Technorotica, Better Than The Real Thing, Skin Effect Effect, Bachelor Machine, and Hard Drive: The Best Sci-Fi Erotica of M.Christian.

As a novelist, M.Christian’s versatility is on full display with Running Dry, The Very Bloody Marys, Brushes, Painted Doll; and the somewhat controversial queer BDSM/horror/thrillers Finger's Breadth, and Me2.

M.Christian has worked on the industry’s production side as an Associate Publisher for Renaissance E Books and as a Publisher for Digital Parchment Services. The latter dedicated to celebrating the works of science-fiction legends such as William Rotsler, Jerome Bixby, Jody Scott, Arthur Byron Cover, Ernest Hogan, and James Van Hise.

Covering topics like BDSM safety, sexual education, senior sexuality concerns, queer and gender issues, plus reviewing a variety of sex tech products, M.Christian’s non-fiction has appeared on sites like Kinkly, Tickle.Life, Sexpert, Queer Majority, Sex for Every Body, and—of course—their ongoing work for Future of Sex.

If there’s anything M.Christian enjoys more than writing, it’s teaching. A featured presenter, sometimes with their friend Ralph Greco Jr, at national sex and BDSM events, they have lectured on kink play (with an emphasis on safety), polyamory, boosting sexual creativity, and erotica writing--for beginners or those wanting to go pro.

M.Christian is a cohost on two popular sex-education podcasts: Love’s Outer Limits with Dr. Amy Marsh and Licking Non-Vanilla with Ralph Greco, Jr.
Previous Article

How the Sex Tech Industry Can Smash ...

Next Article

Sexbot Report Sparks Ethical Debate on Child ...

Related articles More from author

  • A man's hand shown holding a line of condoms.
    Augmentation

    Why ‘Set and Forget’ Male Birth Control Is Key to Overthrowing the Maligned Condom

    March 16, 2021
    By Bridgette Engeler
  • The future of sex is mind-reading AI that reveals your deepest, most unconscious fantasies
    Augmentation

    The Future of Sex Is Mind-Reading AI That Reveals Your Deepest, Most Unconscious Fantasies

    January 26, 2023
    By M. Christian
  • dancing woman in sci fi setting
    Augmentation

    How Might Gene Editing Turn Humans into Sexual Superheroes?

    October 4, 2017
    By M. Christian
  • Bobbi Bidochka
    Sex TechVirtual Sex & Entertainment

    Sex Tech Buzzwords and Shifting Sexual Wellness Trends in 2022

    January 3, 2022
    By Bobbi Bidochka
  • Virtual Sex & Entertainment

    Yareel Releases Green Masks and Specialty Items for St. Paddy’s Day

    March 17, 2020
    By Future of Sex
  • VR PornVirtual Sex & Entertainment

    WeVeer: VR Porn Headset Designed for Private, Hands-free Fun

    June 17, 2016
    By M. Christian

Leave a reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

  • A screenshot from the otome anime game Ozmafia.
    Dating & RelationshipsVirtual Sex & Entertainment

    Many People Play Dating Video Games for Relationship Skills: Study

  • Yuri Tolochko Wedding Plans
    Robots

    Bodybuilder Postpones Wedding to Love Doll Amid COVID-19 Outbreak

  • Estrella Jaramillo of B-wom, a sexual health app for women, stands with long brown hair and tanned skin.
    Sex Tech

    Q & A: How Estrella Jaramillo Is Taking Women’s Sexual Health Out of the Shadows

Virtual Lust is a 3D interactive sex game.
3DXChat
Discover the best virtual sex parties and 3D sex worlds.
  • TOP REVIEWS

  • Screenshot of FeelConnect app future of interactivity intimacy available on Apple and Google Store

    The Best Sex Game Apps for Couples [UPDATED]

  • Project QT is the most popular RPG sex game at hentai sex game portal Nutaku.

    The Best RPG Sex Games [UPDATED]

  • Multiplayer Online Sex Games

    Review of the Best Massively Multiplayer Online Sex Games

    0
  • Harmony ai sex doll from RealDoll

    State of the Sexbot Market: The World’s Best Sex Robot and AI Sex Doll Companies ...

  • Realistic Sex Games

    Review of the Best Sex Games and Most Realistic Sex Simulators [UPDATED]

    0
Fantasy sex game Dream Sex World lets you explore your wildest desires.
Multiplayer sex world Red Light Center continues to impress with its massive userbase and incredible sex graphics.
A blonde and light-skinned love doll face sppears next to the text Go now realdollxthe future is real.

Like Us on Facebook

Newsletter Subscription

Sign up for our monthly newsletter sharing the very best of the future of sex from our publication and others across the web.

DreamSexWorld offers a stunning XXX 3D world filled with incredibly interactive erotic experiences.

Like Us On Facebook

Facebook Pagelike Widget

RLC_ad_v2

Tweets by @FutureofSex
Future of Sex Report

Follow us

  • Home
  • About
  • ADVERTISE
  • Contribute
  • Story Ideas
  • Sitemap
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
© 2011 - 2022 Future Exploration Network
This website or its third-party tools use cookies to improve user experience and track affiliate sales. To learn more about why we need to use cookies, please refer to the Privacy Policy.

By clicking the agree button or continuing to browse through the website, you agree to the use of cookies. Accept Privacy Policy
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
SAVE & ACCEPT