All forms of sex work are constantly evolving. Porn used to come in the form of videotapes and magazines. (Those magazines were NOT bought for the articles.) Even strip clubs are growing in number, and are more widely accepted as they are portrayed in popular media more often.
One branch of the sex work industry that is growing daily is camming. For those who may not know what this means, this refers to workers who live stream, video chat or send videos, usually of adult content, to paying customers. Some models specialize in certain areas of expertise referring to kinks or fetishes. With the constant connection to phones, laptops and other devices, this industry is constantly in motion, with new cammers and websites popping up daily.
Sex workers are constantly marginalized, even though they are watched by millions of men and women every day. Sex, or acts thereof, are stigmatized, but Her Campus is here to break the stigma one piece at a time. We had the opportunity to sit down with an individual who worked as a camgirl and discuss all of her thoughts and experiences regarding the industry.
What was your official job title?
So, there was nothing official about camming. I labeled myself a “camgirl”, but I can’t speak for everyone in the camming industry!
What originally drew you to this type of work?
Honestly, I was going through a bit of a depression my freshman year of college and had a really hard time leaving my dorm room. I had to quit my job due to this issue and also for scheduling reasons with extra curriculars and classes, etc. Camming gave me the flexibility of having my own schedule but also made it possible to earn money from the comfort of my bedroom. Also, I had always wanted to dip my toes into the sex work industry and thought camming was kind of a gateway.
Describe your best experience and worst experience.
I didn’t do live cam shows, I only did work by request. This included audio, photos, and videos. My favorite customer was one that wrote erotica/fanfiction and would send me his stories. All he wanted was for me to send him audio recordings of me reading them out loud. I felt weird at first, reading this stuff out loud in my room, but I actually grew to enjoy it. As far as worst experience, I never took requests I was not totally comfortable with. So anything I wasn’t cool with, I just didn’t respond to or politely declined. Doing any type of work that involves media comes with criticism and unkind words, so I guess I could say the negativity was my worst experience, so to speak.
What do people misunderstand about your work?
A lot of people assume that everyone in sex work has daddy issues or wants to make money without actually working or that we’re all sluts, etc. There are so many misconceptions about sex workers, but we are all different people, so putting us in one big group is very unreasonable. Also, just because I provide my camming services to you, it does not mean I want to have sex with you! It is my JOB, not a way to meet and hook up.
Would you ever do this work again, or any other type of work in the industry?
I actually quit camming when I started dating my current boyfriend. He was uncomfortable with it, and he means enough to me to make that sacrifice. I wouldn’t ever do it again unless he became open to it! Other than that, I did enjoy the work and would do it again part time.
How do you hope society views sex work in the future?
Most of the people that frown on sex work watch porn…so basically I’m hoping people will be less hypocritical. Many people are beginning to be more open as our country has progressed so much with social issues. We do have a long way to go, of course. As media continues to normalize sex workers, I hope that we will be normalized in everyday life. Don’t hate–appreciate! :)