TechSex
New thinking on sex and technology
This program of work is focused on the nexus between sexuality and technology, exploring the role of new technologies in ever changing sexual cultures and looking at new opportunities for sexual health education in digital spaces. The program also looks at how perceptions of sexual risk and danger have shaped social responses to new technologies and the role of regulatory law in supporting safety in sexualised use of digital technologies.
TechSex in modern lives
Over the past two decades, there has been a rapid expansion of technologies that enhance or facilitate sexual experience or intimacy. This includes digital technologies, such as smart phones and dating apps, mechanical technologies, such as digitally connected vibrators, and medical technologies, such as surgical processes and pharmaceutical products. This project explores the role of new technologies in people’s sex lives. The study involves a survey of Australians about their use of new technologies and their perceptions of the risks and benefits of this.
Related publications
- Moor, L., Anderson, J. R., Power, J., James, A., Waling, A., & Shackleton, N. (2023). The risks and benefits of technologised sexual practice scale: A quantitative measure of technology facilitated sex and intimacy. Sexual Health, 21(1). https://doi.org/10.1071/SH23034
- Power, J. and Waling, A (2020) Online sex parties and virtual reality porn: can sex in isolation be as fulfilling as real life? The Conversation, 17th April , https://theconversation.com/online-sex-parties-and-virtual-reality-porn-can-sex-in-isolation-be-as-fulfilling-as-real-life-134658
- Power, J. (2020) My Queer Love Bot, in Power, J., von Doussa, H. and Jones, T. W. (eds) Bent Street 4.1: Love from a Distance. Melbourne; Clouds of Magellan. https://opal.latrobe.edu.au/articles/chapter/My_Queer_Love_Bot/23916078
- Waling, A. and James, A. (2022). Vaginas, pheromones and TikTok: what is the strange new trend of ‘vabbing’?, The Conversation, July 26 https://theconversation.com/vaginas-pheromones-and-tiktok-what-is-the-strange-new-trend-of-vabbing-187431
New approaches to digital sexual imagery
This study explores stories and experiences of the production of non-commercial nude or sexual imagery, looking at the ways these practices are often spoken about in terms of risk or danger rather than experience or opportunity.
Related publications
- James, A., Waling, A., Dowsett, G. W., & Power, J. (2023). Sex on screens: The language of sexting and amateur pornography. Culture, Health & Sexuality. https://doi.org/10.1080/13691058.2023.2258949
- Power, J., Dowsett, G. W., Waling, A., James, A., Moor, L., Shackleton, N., & Farrell, A.-M. (2023). Rethinking Risk in Adults’ Engagement with Sexual Digital Imagery. Sexuality Research and Social Policy. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13178-023-00844-w
Smart Sex
New digitally enhanced technologies now allow for intimate sensation and connection to be enacted remotely, via smart-enabled haptic devices (teledildonics). This study explores the role of these devices in contemporary sex lives, and involved speaking to both users and designers and manufacturers of these products.
Related publications
- Pym, T., James, A., Waling, A., Power, J., & Dowsett, G. W. (2023). ‘Synced as a couple’: Responsibility, control and connection in accounts of using wireless sex devices during heterosex. Sexualities, 136
Sex and intimacy during COVID-19
Social distancing, isolation and lockdown during the coronavirus pandemic have significantly changed the ways interact with other people. At the same time, we have access to a wide range of technologies in our home – such as the internet, webcams, and smart phones. To understand the ways that technology may (or may not) help to establish or maintain sexual connections, relationships and experiences during the coronavirus pandemic, the TechSex project conducted a national survey of adults residing in Australia, seeking to explore if, how, and why, people might be using online sources for sexual experiences during the coronavirus pandemic.
Related publications
- Power, J., Moor, L., Anderson, J., Waling, A., James, A., Shackleton, N., Farrell, A.-M., Agnew, E., & Dowsett, G. W. (2022). Traversing TechSex: Benefits and risks in digitally mediated sex and relationships. Sexual Health, 19(1), 55–69. https://doi.org/10.1071/SH21220
Men, sex and intimacy
This project explores cisgender, heterosexual men’s negotiations of sex, consent, and intimacy in the post #METOO. Funded by the Australian Research Council, this is part of the broader research program M-SEX program which explores cisgender heterosexual men’s bodies, technology, sexual practices, and sexual health and well-being.
Related publications
- Waling, A., James, A., & Moor, L. (2024). “Dude, Come On, Like, Let’s Just Do the Thing”: Men’s and Women’s Navigations of Sexual Communication and Sexual Consent in Australia. Sexuality Research and Social Policy. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13178-024-00973-w
- Waling, A. (2023). Combining ‘sex-as-dirty work’ and ‘CMM’ frameworks for recruiting cisgender, heterosexual men for a study on sex, sexuality, and intimacy. International Journal of Social Research Methodology. https://doi.org/10.1080/13645579.2023.2166272
- Waling, A. (2023). Understanding how young cisgender heterosexual men navigate sexual health conversations and practices during casual sex: A qualitative study. Sexual Health, 20(4), 347–356. https://doi.org/10.1071/SH23012
- Waling, A. (2023). ‘Inoculate Boys Against Toxic Masculinity’: Exploring Discourses of Men and Masculinity in #Metoo Commentaries. The Journal of Men’s Studies, 31(1), 130–156. https://doi.org/10.1177/10608265221092044
- Waling, A. (2023). ‘Pay close attention to what my eyes are saying without having to spell it out’: Heterosexual relations and discourses of sexual communication in #MeToo commentaries. Sexualities, 26(1–2), 140–161. https://doi.org/10.1177/13634607211060834
- Waling, A., James, A., & Fairchild, J. (2023). ‘I’m not going anywhere near that’: Expert stakeholder challenges in working with boys and young men regarding sex and sexual consent. Critical Social Policy, 43(2), 234–256. https://doi.org/10.1177/02610183221103817
- Waling, A., Kehlher, M., Power, J., Kerr, L., & Bourne, A. (2023). ‘I don’t think my torso is anything to write home about’: Men’s reflexive production of ‘authentic’ photos for online dating platforms. Journal of Gender Studies, 32(5), 471–485. https://doi.org/10.1080/09589236.2022.2027236
Tech, sex and the law
The sexualised use of technologies has highlighted potential legal complexities and safety concerns. Existing legal frameworks may be inadequate to respond to issues of consent, confidentiality, privacy, surveillance, harassment, ownership and control that have emerged due to new sex technologies.
In this project, we are look at the law and regulation of sex technologies in Australia and the UK. We aim to identify and map existing policies, laws or other regulatory frameworks which may be of relevance to sex technologies, with a view to understand potential gaps or barriers in the law.
Related publications
- Farrell, A.-M., Shackleton, N., Agnew, E., Hopkins, S., & Power, J. (2023). Regulating tech-sex and managing image-based sexual abuse: An Australian perspective. Information & Communications Technology Law, 32(2), 189–206. https://doi.org/10.1080/13600834.2022.2119208
- Shackleton, N., Farrell, A.M., & Power, J. (2022). A third of surveyed Australians say the internet is good for their sex lives. The Conversation, 15 February, https://theconversation.com/a-third-of-surveyed-australians-say-the-internet-is-good-for-their-sex-lives-175930
Improving effective delivery of sexual health literacy for young people in online spaces
This qualitative study aimed to enhanced knowledge of the role that digital technology plays in supporting sexual health among young people. It involved interviews with young people and with people who produce online content or work in youth sexual health promotion.
Related publications
- Waling, A., James, A., Lim, G., & Power, J. (2022). Building young people’s sexual literacy in digital spaces (ARCSHS Monograph Series No. 132). Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society, La Trobe University, https://opal.latrobe.edu.au/articles/report/Building_young_people_s_sexual_literacy_in_digital_spaces/20191112
Funding
The TechSex project receives funding from the Australian Research Council Discovery Project Scheme (DP190102027, 2019-2022) and the Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DE200101539, 2020-2023) and The Australian Department of Health and Aged Care Blood Borne Virus and STI Branch (Improving effective delivery of sexual health literacy for young people in online spaces, 2021-2022)