Episode 239: Kinky In The Digital Age

Ever since people started having sex, they had kinky sex. While kink itself is not new, kink practices have certainly changed over time, as have people’s opportunities to explore and experiment with kink. This is especially true in the modern digital era. In today’s show, we’re going to talk about how technology has opened up new ways for people to explore their kinks, whether technology itself is making us kinkier, and where kinky interests come from in the first place. I am joined once again by Liam Wignall, a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Brighton. He specialises in research on kink/BDSM, looking at the impact of internet and community engagement on identity formation. His book, Kinky in the Digital Age, explores how kinky gay and bisexual men navigate kink in contemporary times with an in-depth analysis of the pup play subculture. Some of the topics we explore include: How is kink defined? How far can we trace back the kinky history of the queer community? How has the mainstreaming of kink (i.e., the Fifty Shades phenomenon) changed the research on kinky sex? Why at a time when heterosexuals are more openly embracing kink do we see a lot of LGBTQ+ people trying to hide it? Why has kink suddenly become controversial at LGBTQ+ pride events? Is technology making us kinkier? You can check out our article on Liam’s recent publication here, and connect with him on Twitter/X here. You can also get 30% of Liam’s book Kinky in the Digital Age through Oxford University Press with discount code: ASPROMP8 Thank you to our sponsors!  The Handy is a Scandinavian pleasure device like no other: it’s an adult toy for anyone with a penis that enables new sexual experiences through interactive technology. The Handy can be synched with online content from multiple adult websites to offer immersive experiences, meaning that what you see is what you feel. To learn more visit thehandy.com and get 10% off your purchase with discount code sexandpsych.  Are you passionate about building a career in sexuality? Check out the Sexual Health Alliance. With SHA, you’ll connect with world-class experts and join an engaged community of sexuality professionals from around the world. Visit SexualHealthAlliance.com and start building the sexuality career of your dreams today. The Kinsey Institute at Indiana University has been a trusted source for scientific knowledge and research on critical issues in sexuality, gender, and reproduction for over 75 years. Watch for presentations and papers from Kinsey Institute faculty and students at this month’s meeting of the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality, which will be held in New Orleans. Learn more research and upcoming events at kinseyinstitute.org or look for them on social media @kinseyinstitute. *** Want to learn more about Sex and Psychology? Click here for previous articles or follow the blog on Facebook, Twitter, or Reddit to receive updates. You can also follow Dr. Lehmiller on YouTube and Instagram. Listen and stream all episodes on Apple, Spotify, Google, or Amazon. Subscribe to automatically receive new episodes and please rate and review the podcast! Credits: Precision Podcasting (Podcast editing) and Shutterstock/Florian (Music). Image created with Canva; photos used with permission of guest.