Cybersex

Cybersex can be defined as those sexual acts that are derived from surfing electronic media sites that would titillate the sexual mind and that satisfies the erotic needs of an individual, who constantly watches explicit sexual sites.

These sites might be on Websites, Chat-rooms with Web cams, streaming video material, live sex shows and/or SMS messages. Reuters reported that in a period of two years the sexual sites on the Internet, grew with more than 27% (from 22 million – 28 million in 2001).

Reuters stated further that 6.5% of male Internet users are compulsive Cybersex fans. This condition can be defined after a person has developed compulsive sexual thoughts and/or behaviour that would lead to increasingly serious consequences, in both the addict’s internal and external worlds.

The consequences on the psychological (internal) side may include the development of severe depression, suicidal thoughts, low self-esteem, shame, self-hatred, hopelessness, despair, helplessness, intense anxiety, loneliness, moral conflict, contradictions between ethical values and behaviours, fear of abandonment, spiritual decline, distorted thinking, remorse and self-deceit. In the external world this person might put his family and work on the line.

The problem starts when the online fantasy lives are so intense that off-line relationships may suffer. These sufferers engaged in Cybersex on average 5.7 hours/week by visiting porn sites and sex chat rooms. The reported reasons for visiting these sites frequently are given as stress relieving and not for entertainment reasons. Usually the addict will engage in Cybersex actions that he/she would not attempt in real life. It is further reported that they have reduced real time sexual activity with an offline partner; this would therefore further alienate these people from real life experiences and enhance their behaviour through sexual fantasy.

source: http://www.health24.com/