The Digital Love Industry

The Digital Love Industry

2014, Technology  -   25 Comments
7.05
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Ratings: 7.05/10 from 94 users.

Technology has altered the way we experience the world and each other, but at what cost? Case in point: the notion of sex in the realm of virtual reality. This emerging field serves as the tantalizing subject for a new documentary titled The Digital Love Industry. Produced by VICE Media and hosted by correspondent Jo Fuertes-Knight, the film takes us around the globe to explore the various technologies that harbor the potential to compliment (or endanger) the future of human intimacy.

What if you could virtually simulate a sexual encounter with your favorite adult film star, or with a mate that you design using your ideal specifications? What if you could take your long distance relationship to the next level by forming a physical connection through specially designed pleasure devices?

From a virtual reality conference in Los Angeles to the porn capital of the world in the San Fernando Valley to development companies in the Netherlands and Amsterdam, The Digital Love Industry shows us that the technologies to achieve all this and more exist at this very moment, and they have to be seen to be believed.

Virtual reality represents the next evolution in inter-connectivity, and it's no longer relegated to the nerd-dominated fringes. Just ask Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, who recently acquired the leading producer of virtual reality technology, Oculus VR, and instantaneously propelled it into the mainstream.

Much like Facebook, though, the possibilities of virtual reality may be as troubling as they are thrilling. In many respects, the advent of these advanced technologies have made us more connected than ever before, but as the film questions, they may also lure us further away from the potentially awkward but oftentimes meaningful rewards of actual physical contact.

It's a dilemma we face more and more often in our modern technology-driven world, but it's especially relevant as it applies to the consumption of virtual sex and pornography. Will our ability to interact with our fantasies in a hyper-realistic virtual environment cause us more harm than good? Or will our basic human need for a face-to-face connection always win out in the end?

How will we define love and sex in the digital age? As The Digital Love Industry so deftly illustrates, the future of virtual sex has indeed arrived, and as it continues to evolve it may force us to do the same.

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Radharani
Radharani
7 months ago

practically every sentance in this documentary is a straight forward commercial for technology and perverts... and who paid for it? ... right - we're stupid as them and we can't put it together... And just to be more curious (as suggested at the end) - since when is a narcissistic 18-year old baby prostitute the one who can tell something about society :))) ... How convenient is to ask the very product of the sick society (i.e. the one that herself already IS the problem), whether this will cause problems in society ... It's like asking an alcholic whether alchohol will cause problems :))) even the very question is stupid enough by using future tense :))) .... My god, I have never seen so much dumb claims and so many profundly stupid people in one single "documentary" ... Let me challenge your curiosity, doctor: whether technology is the future IS A QUESTION > return the payment you received for this "documentary" ... see, not everyone in this planet shares this sick american culture with you guys, there are extremely many people who see this with simple pitty and find all this deeply sad.

aditya
aditya
4 years ago

Do we really want to hand this technology to our childrens

jennifer
jennifer
7 years ago

idk i just need to cite something for school

TheUprising
TheUprising
8 years ago

Eliminate meat, normal sex, and going out.
Replace them with virtual sex, tofu, and online chat.
Ah, progress.

hasanhh
hasanhh
9 years ago

Poor sound quality. Skipped about half of it. But this did remind me of a couple of movies. One is "Brainstorm" (1983) with Natalie Wood, Cliff Robertson, etc. There, brainwaves are recorded which are then sold/shared to duplicate actual experiences. One character leaves a sex experience in "loop" until it hospitalizes and brain damages himself.
The other is a recent Bruce Willis movie about people trying to live fantasy lives by VR. I thought of this last film when I saw a news report about these techies earning a trip and being with people from several parts of the World. When it was break-time, they would go out into the halls and start texting rather than meeting the people standing next to them.
This "documentary" is more like advertising than any other genre. Watching "Brainstorm" is more informative about this subject.

bluetortilla
bluetortilla
9 years ago

Wow! That was depressing. But after this I watched the VICE Japan sex industry doc. Now I'm off to the hardware store to buy some rope...

Seriously, I've always hated Facebook. But I'm not surprised that 1.something people are signed up though (including me haha), and after watching this I'm not surprised that leaches like Zuckerman are investing into VR sex. Whatever happened to good ol' genuine loneliness?

This doc got a low rating (not from me), but I think VICE shows it like it is. Good job.

Polar Jo
Polar Jo
9 years ago

well then...I am sorry I quit smoking, could use a cigarette right now (or perhaps a vaporizer), :) . To be more serious, this brief doc is interesting and insightful. Vice your really going out there into everywhere aren't you? I personally do not anticipate a problem with any of this new 'matrix' technology. My take goes to 1. the reality that a lot of people do not get to 'mate' in our diverse world's and cultures; if there is a discreet possibility for that very large group to have a simulated satisfaction w a virtual girl/boy friend, surely that will be a good thing. Think about it - we are over 7 Billion people, and our species was designed for both diversity as well as natural selection, so only certain 'types' were likely to mate at all, let alone often. We are changing all that (cultural and sexual revolutions, etc), and these 'tools' I think will simply add to the options in the beautiful landscape of our imaginations. Even if virtual sex (holo-deck style) becomes a norm, there will be mavericks who want the feel of human contact and connection, so anybody who prefers it really wont have to worry. Like the Dr says, transitional times will bring out the moralists and judgemental, but if reasonable minds prevail, we will figure out how to make this more discreet and secure, and because most of us genuinely 'want' to be connected to someone, we will also negotiate with one another regarding how far we go with the technology we bring into our emotional and physical lives. There has always been choice out there for those who want kink in all it's fashion - maybe tech tools will make it safer and more satisfying? I suppose in comparison I would be labelled pretty vanilla, but even within my 'genre' I like to keep things interesting (lots of flavours can be added to vanilla), think chocolate, maple and walnuts...mmm I digress. Interesting to think about, and Amsterdam might be a great vacation idea for curious couples. Watch if you have an open mind and Enjoy!

Polar Jo
Polar Jo
9 years ago

definitely going for it...ttyl baby :)

Airvaulting for Girls
Airvaulting for Girls
9 years ago

Every body has got a product to sell... I don't even know where to get started with this video; I feel like if I did, I could probably go on for hours. I think I'll remain a sexual luddite, just a man alone with his mouse and his old-fashioned internet porn.

Adam Young
Adam Young
9 years ago

what a bunch of wankers we've become.

pwndecaf
pwndecaf
9 years ago

I have an addictive personality and I have a lot of tech gadgets - I had better not watch...