What’s the Difference Between Porn And Cams? - Dr. David Ley

David Ley Dec 18, 2019

While the people often assume that cams are similar to porn, there are significant differences between how fans view and use cams. Dr. Ley explains that cams often have an emotional as well as sexual component, which distinguishes them from conventional porn. — Stripchat Sexuality Resource Center

It might surprise you that I as a clinical psychologist am talking about masturbation, but masturbation is really important. When we look at pornography and when we look at sexual media, we are actually looking at masturbatory behavior…

Most studies indicate that 90% of pornography use is accompanied by masturbation. 89% of males stop watching pornography when they have an orgasm. So in other words, they are watching pornography in order to enhance their masturbatory behavior. In women, it actually is a little surprising. Only around 45% of women stop watching pornography when they have an orgasm. Why? At least the theory is two things. One, that women can have multiple orgasms much more easily than men, so that they don’t have to stop watching pornography after they have an orgasm. But, number two, most women who watch pornography watch it with their male partner and so they stop when the male partner has an orgasm, not when the female partner does.

Webcamming may be unique — because there’s not a whole lot of people that report that they have fallen in love with the porn actresses that they masturbate to. Certainly some individuals do develop stalking, kind of obsessive sort of interest in behaviors focusing on porn performers that they are very interested in, but they’re not reporting romantic feelings. They’re not reporting that they’ve become friends with folks the way that you do on webcam.

Webcamming is unique and different in, I think, a very interesting way. Webcamming and using webcams involves relationships, involves developing connections with people. As I talked to some webcam performers, that was one of the things that they shared with me. They said that it actually can be a struggle. It can be a fine line to walk between developing a relationship with your fans and your audience, inviting them to connect with you, to care about you, to want to give you money, to want to watch you get naked and be sexual. But the performers sometimes worry that they might take it too far and have their fans become obsessed or actually fall in love such that it affects the person’s life.