The Age of Digital Peeping Toms.

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The act of watching others engaging in sexual or nude activity has been around since the dawn of fucking.

Voyeurism is defined as a sexual preference, or kink in layman’s terms, for observing others engaged in an intimate activity, in which the observer will gain some sort of sexual pleasure e.g., sexual intercourse, undressing or bathing. A voyeur may be referred to as a Peeper or a Peeping Tom. The name originates from later versions of a rather sensual fable dating back to the 13th century. Lady Godiva, the late illustrious Anglo-saxon noblewoman rode naked, adorned only by her long hair, through the streets of Coventry to gain a remission of the oppressive taxation that her husband, Leofric, Earl of Mercia, imposed on his tenants. Lady Godiva announced her nude protest to the town and instructed that all homeowners must stay indoors and shut their windows. Not daring to see her gyrating flesh. One man, Thomas, disobeyed her wishes and was struck blind or dead. Thus, the birth of the first documented act of voyeurism and Peeping Tom was made.

As history supports, mankind has sought after one upping the advancements of its peers. Academically, culturally, technologically, and sexually. The Peeping Tom has too adapted according to the times: well-paying, hole-spies in Parisian brothels to streamers. The advancements of modern technology have allowed for new ways for the voyeur to be satisfied, ways in which Nikola Tesla may not have accounted for. Technological evolution has eradicated the previous setbacks of the ancient Peeping Tom: now there is no obstruction of clothing nor the need for developing night-vision. Incoming the landmark of the modern-day voyeur: Webcam Sex.

Webcam Sex is typically described as the explicit illustration of live or recorded sexual activity via a web cam or camera with the intention of sexually exciting an audience or simply oneself. The first live webcam broadcast was produced in 1991. It was pointed at a coffee pot in the computer laboratory of the University of Cambridge, England. Done for the steamy pleasure of saving time from having to walk to the pot and being disappointed by its empty contents. The first notable live explicit webcamming was JenniCam, created by Jennifer Kaye Ringley in 1996. She was a lifecaster who showcased her entire life online to her audience from the comforts of her university dorm room. Some might argue that family vloggers may have JenniCam to thank. The Live Sex Cam industry began to progress, and sites erected all over the internet: Flirt4free and Cams.com in 1996 and Streamate and iFreinds in 1999, etc.

Not only has technology benefited the Peeper but also the Peepee , allowing them to take control. Begone the upskirt-voyeurism of mirrors attached to shoes, catching a glimpse of white undies or perfectly placed cameras in backpacks, and changing rooms.

Women, and men, are given the opportunity to reclaim profits and power from the traditionally male-dominated pornography industry and invasive acts of non-consensual voyeurism. The webcammer can control the consumption of their body. Dictating the terms and conditions on which they are viewed all whilst infiltrating international markets. It’s not to say that the dangers and unfortunate instances that have arisen throughout voyeurism are not separate from its technological advances. However, Thomas, man slain by the bosom of Lady Godiva has become a martyr to the bodies drenched in sweat sitting behind desks in musky bedrooms.

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