Platforms like MYM and OnlyFans are transforming the sex industry. More than just channels for selling nude photos or videos: they’re also communication platforms, enabling ‘fans’ to connect with and proposition ‘content creators’. But who are the people behind the webcams? What have been their experiences? We spoke to hundreds of creators to find out. Unsurprisingly, they are almost exclusively female, usually between the ages of 18 and 27. Professionals. Influencers. Students in precarious situations.
Some have a few dozen followers. Others have tens of thousands. Mado, 24, is a novice and in a similar position to the vast majority of creators for these platforms. She has only a few subscribers so offers her content very cheaply and feels a great pressure to gain more visibility – even if it means quickly testing her limits. She’s our entry point into this world because with Mado, we quickly come to explore the first steps: the scams, the naivety too.
“When you start out on these platforms with limits, it’s obvious that you’re not going to keep them. There’s so much money on offer”, explains Noochka. Via live messages, customers can ask for content without censorship. Violent “kinks”, fetishization, racist fantasies, and sometimes pedophilia. The webgirls find themselves alone, faced with the darker sides of their clients’ sexuality.
Through our characters’ stories, we show how these applications have turned their lives upside down. From the constant pressure to post content all the time to the difficulties in separating out their private lives. A rare, up-close and personal account of the lives of these new sex workers.