Cam porn is interactive, and the models depend on viewers to chat and send tips to keep the shows fun. This interaction is what separates cam porn from regular porn.
Early internet era cam sites were the Wild West of adult content experimentation and profitability, where performers could make bank off novelty or obscure fetishes. That still happens today, but there’s a darker side to camming.
Online pornography
The advent of the World Wide Web has spurred both commercial and non-commercial distribution of online pornography. These sites offer photos, video clips and streaming media including live webcams. This type of adult content can be divided into two categories: Group shows offered to members of an adult paysite and one-on-one private sessions sold on a pay-per-view basis.
Pornography on the internet is referred to as internet porn or IPorn and is available via websites, FTP connections, peer-to-peer file sharing networks and Usenet newsgroups. Access to internet porn is increasing among adolescents and adults. It is estimated that about 92 million images of pornographic material are available over the internet each day.
In addition to the proliferation of internet pornography, specialized software has been developed that allows individuals to send pornographic material over the internet without having to upload it onto a website. This software is called P2P software and is generally illegal in countries where it is used.
It is important to note that if an individual visits pornographic sites, the computer itself becomes “tagged” in the cyber world and can be tracked by servers. This can result in unwanted, even dangerous attention being paid to an individual’s computer usage. It is also important to know that problematic usage of online pornography is more common among males than females and that the use of internet pornography is more prevalent in people who are single or widowed (Wery & Billieux, 2017). Psychiatric research has found that people with psychiatric disorders are three to five times more likely to suffer from problematic online pornography than those who do not have a psychiatric disorder.
The rise of cam porn
With the proliferation of online pornography, sex workers can be found everywhere, from traditional tube sites to dedicated cam sites. Cam porn has become a major part of the sex industry and offers viewers intimate, personalized interactions with performers. The cam models who work these sites can interact with thousands of viewers at one time. They can also be paid via tips, a growing source of revenue for the sex industry.
Cam porn differs from other forms of adult content in that it cannot be pirated and viewed for free. Instead, it requires a viewer to pay for a chat session or livestream with a model. This can be expensive, but it is considered more legitimate than other types of pornographic content.
The rise of cam porn has put many traditional adult film studios at a disadvantage. Slick, high-production pornography was once a mainstay for big-name studios, but it quickly lost popularity in favor of unpolished, personal videos and chat rooms.
Unlike film or video, which require the creation of a movie or video, images may be scanned into computers from photographs and magazines, produced with a digital camera, or cut from a video to create a thumbnail that links to a gallery with the full-length version. These thumbnail images, often called a “thumbnail” are sometimes categorized by category and type of content offered in the gallery. The thumbnails are usually displayed together in a categorized list, or more commonly, a table, that allows the viewer to easily locate a particular category or type of content.
Cam models who work these livestreams or chat sites are vulnerable to harassment, which can include threatening or offensive language and sexually invading questions. They are also at risk for doxxing, in which their private information is publicly posted on the internet. Some cam models have even been physically assaulted in their homes.
For some performers, cam porn is a way to make a decent living and for others, it is an opportunity to do what they love. For the latter, it is a way to connect with their audience and to have some control over their career path.
The rise of cam sites
Aside from the sex factor, cam sites differ from pre-recorded porn in their emphasis on fostering connections between viewers and performers. Many are based on the “chat show” model, with customers paying to connect in one-on-one private sessions or by the minute in shared rooms. Depending on the site, a customer can pay for varying degrees of intimacy and often gives tips to encourage performers to perform specific acts they want to see.
This connection-driven approach is a major draw for many viewers, especially in this isolating pandemic. “I think a lot of people are lonely and need human connection,” says XHamster’s Alex Hawkins. He notes that the traffic to his company’s cam platform has grown twice as fast this year compared to the past.
It’s a gratifying business for cam models, too, who have seen their paychecks soar as well. Unlike tube porn, which typically involves studio-produced content, cams allow performers to create more personalized, intimate performances that appeal to a broad range of fetishes. Many cam hosts focus on nudity, while others are more into masturbation or role-play.
That said, the business isn’t without its challenges. Streaming companies are often considered high risk by credit card networks, meaning they must pay steep fees to process payments, which cuts into earnings. Additionally, many sites take a cut of a performer’s revenue, which can result in dismally low payouts.
And if things go wrong, there can be serious legal consequences. The passage of the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act and FOSTA in April dramatically impacted many performers, who found themselves having to edit their content down to the barest minimum to avoid getting hit with fines or even being kicked off the platform.
The rise of cam models
As the recession has triggered a surge in job losses, a new group of women—and men—have sought out work as cam models. They stream online, earning tips from customers who chat with them live on camera while watching erotic, often explicit, acts. In many cases, the women can’t speak to their clients in person because their jobs are illegal under the laws that regulate sex work.
The industry, known as camming, is worth millions. It’s also a surprisingly democratizing profession: Anyone can set up a computer, microphone, and webcam and start broadcasting for money. Unlike porn, which can be illegal in some places, camming is generally legal and regulated. The industry’s popularity has brought in people from all backgrounds, including women who have never been in a studio or who don’t have the resources to hire an agent or make a home recording studio.
Most cam sites allow models to create their own private chat rooms, where viewers can interact with them. The chats are paid by the minute, and models work on tips. Most of the models interviewed for this story said they wanted to connect with their fans and build a relationship with them. Some performers are so dedicated to their work that they spend hours each day in their rooms.
For people like Nelson Farias, who works nine hours a day in a house-turned-camstudio in the working-class neighborhood of La Aguacatala in Medellin, Colombia’s second city, camming is more than a way to earn extra income. He is a “monitor,” a term that describes someone who directs, assists, and promotes studio cam models. He makes more than the models themselves, whose earnings average about $2 per hour.
In addition to promoting and advertising, the monitors also handle many technical details. They have to keep an eye on the cameras’ feed, troubleshoot connection problems, and translate explicit customer requests into English. This can be particularly difficult for models in the developing world, where low Internet penetration makes it hard to get a steady signal.
To maximize their tips, models must know how to work a room. They often use countdowns and games to attract a crowd, but they also know which types of sexy acts garner the most tips. They also have to learn how to tease their audience without revealing too much.