Digisexuality?

I possibly cheated on my wife once. Alone in a room, a young woman reached out her hands and seductively groped mine, inviting me to engage and embrace her. I went with it.

Twenty seconds later, I pulled back and ripped off my virtual reality gear. Around me, dozens of tech conference goers were waiting in line to try the same computer program an exhibitor was hosting. I warned colleagues in line this was no game. It created real emotions and challenged norms of partnership and sexuality. But does it really? And who benefits from this?

Around the world, a minor sexual revolution is occurring. It’s not so much about people stepping outside their moral boundaries as much as it is about new technology. Virtual reality haptic suits, sexbots, and even implanted sexual devices—some controlled from around the world by strangers—are increasingly becoming used. Often called digisexuality, some people—especially those who find it awkward to fit into traditional sexual roles—are finding newfound relationships and more meaningful sex.

(via Althouse)

[Istvan didn’t cheat on his wife as much as he cheated himself. Digisexuality does not create a “relationship,” and it certainly doesn’t produce “more meaningful sex.” It produces a novel form of masturbation, and this faux intimacy does nothing for his actual, meaningful, marital relationship. Istvan argues that “for some, it brings hope,” but this narcissistic sexual focus on the false is the opposite of hope. It’s definitionally delusional. It’s yet another way to sell isolation and despair. — Ed]