Will Sexual Desire Fade in the Metaverse Like it Does in Traditional Marriages?

New technologies may help overcome any awkwardness tied to talking about sex in marriage.

In the television series “Black Mirror,” a married man has sex with a friend while playing a virtual reality game. The two argue about whether the encounter was cheating as the true-to-life technology made them feel like they were really stroking each other.

Although the situation described above is entirely fictitious, it is no longer fiction because of the metaverse, a parallel digital universe driven by virtual reality (VR) technology.

The metaverse is an online environment where people may socialize, work, and even date or have sex using avatars. In essence, people will be able to live virtual parallel lives in virtual surroundings that may merge with the physical world in the metaverse.

Though the metaverse is yet to take off fully, people are already seeing its potential. Couples are holding “Meta-Marriage” events and finalizing their virtual ceremony with smart contracts.

Now, in most traditional marriages, as couples start spending more and more time together, lovemaking seems more like a chore on a to-do list than a pursuit of pleasure.

Will the same apply in the metaverse world?

What the experts say

“Porn in the metaverse will be more engaging and interactive, with the bonus of not being constricted to real-world physics,” Ela Darling, VR porn entrepreneur and marketing director at VIRO Playspace, told Let’s Eat Cake. The same can be said for intimacy.

Sex tech researcher Bryony Cole also agrees that the metaverse can offer new opportunities to overcome any awkwardness tied to talking or learning more about sex in marriage.

“I believe there is a great potential for sex education and sexual health support in the metaverse,” Cole said, also to Let’s Eat Cake.

“Because the topic of sex is still so stigmatized, the combined anonymity and intimacy of virtual worlds makes it an ideal platform for education and health topics to thrive.”

Instead of going to a sex therapist in person, for instance, a user could visit an online facility in the metaverse. In this virtual setting, they may feel more comfortable talking about their desires or what they want their sex life to be like. The same goes for sexual health classes or workshops eventually leading to healthy and enjoyable sex life.

Digital identities enable a new form of intimacy

With the metaverse, instead of having video calls to communicate or being physically present in order to have sex, couples can connect through their avatars.

I believe this has the potential to change how people get intimate.

Since VHS cassettes, the sex market has been pushing technical advancements. The increasing technology and capacity for fantasies in the metaverse will create a setting for not just Dreamcam users, but also sexually-interested folks to experience new things.

This might be beneficial for anyone self-conscious about their appearance during sex. People in long-distance relationships may have more sex in the metaverse than in real life to maintain their physical connection.

The metaverse is also ripe for forming different kinds of relationships.

AGADIR-GROUP recently covered this in an interview with Rob Gaige, Reddit's director of partnership insights. From the article:

Gaige suggests that double-dating will become more seamless, as couples don’t need to live in proximity to meet up. At the same time, in a lower-stakes virtual environment, he predicts that it will allow users “a safe environment to unlock less traditional relationship structures—things like the advancement of roleplay and the advancement of non-monogamous relationships.” For this reason, he estimates that gen Z—a broadly more sexually and gender-fluid generation—will be particularly interested in metaverse dating.

Getting it on will become a matter of personal taste for how individuals want to make intimacy more fulfilling and pleasurable.

Image Sources: Kelly Sikkema