By Rebecca Corbett
Onlyfans – coined as the ‘Paywall of Porn’ by the New York times, is something that has taken a grip on the younger generation allowing them to capitalise on their best features and carnal knowledge in the form of posting pornographic pictures and videos – it’s carnal capitalisation. It sounds almost too good to be true, but it is maybe something you have considered getting involved with at one time or another whilst staring at your less than fruitful bank statements. It certainly seems to be a particularly thriving platform in this age, with around 8 million users and more than 20,000 creators producing a catalogue of content, more than you could shake a stick at. There is plenty to see and a worthwhile amount of money to be made. What a world to live in, where your ass could be your best asset.
Chances are that are some point you have clocked someone on one of your social media platforms sharing a link to their Onlyfans account and you either dismissed this or you took a cheeky look but it probably popped up in your mind that by following the link you would be greeted by some form of explicit content, right? Well, do not be fooled, this platform is not exclusive to adult entertainment, but it does stand as the most lucrative avenue with over 150 million being paid out to creators since the company started in 2016. When you click that link you could be met with anything from a selection of cooking ‘How to’ videos to fitness tips but it is more likely to be porn than a pasta bake tutorial.
It may sound like an extreme jump of conclusions but in this day and age we have been taught not to be coy – if you have something to show the world, you can do just that and you can be almost certain that someone will be interested.
People may grimace at the idea of acknowledging Onlyfans creators as ‘sex workers’, even the words ‘sex work’ alone spring into some minds as a baseless career, but Lucy, a recent graduate from West Yorkshire is happy to wear the label "If you are selling anything from real sex, to nudes or even just sexual conversations, whether it be in person, online or over the phone, if a sexual service is exchanged for money it is sex work.”
Lucy has been creating on Onlyfans since November 2019, her online sex services are currently earning her around £300 per month, and while it may not be close to what top content creators such as Dannii Harwood, Sophie Anderson and Jenna Love are earning, she points that it is currently her main source of income. Not to mention that she enjoys the work “I enjoy the whole process of coming up with ideas for content, creating it, uploading it and reviewing the responses and reactions to the content.”
Onlyfans allows subscribers to be anonymous if they choose. this is good for the subscribers if they feel embarrassed but could be slightly worrying for creators. The point being that you may never know the man, or woman behind the mask and by the same token you might actually know someone who is watching. The worry is that it could invite an uneasy feeling to an otherwise confident creator. Lucky for Lucy she does not feel this way, she notes that has had several subscribers that she knows and views their subscriptions as “a huge compliment”, she adds that she has even had an ex-partner paying her way, “I don’t mind it at all and I don’t find it uncomfortable or strange although many people presume that's how I may feel, I’m very open and comfortable with my sexuality.”
There are many interesting things about Onlyfans that give it the edge over other sites such as Pornhub, Chatchurbate and Cam4. One benefit of this platform is its interactivity, Onlyfans is based on a subscription model that allows creators to set a price for their content, subscribers pay this to gain access but can also pay extra to chat to the creators via a pay per message system. It’s all about that money, baby. But what if these interactions are more sleazy than sexy? Subscribers may even be so bold to threaten leaking content to get what they want.
Lucy shares that she has been unfortunate enough to experience these threats, people with the staggering audacity to message her asking for more than just an online good time. “Fairly often I will get subscribers who will message me asking over the line questions about myself and my personal life and asking to meet with them for sex. These messages cross the line for me and make me feel slightly uncomfortable and on certain occasions even slightly unsafe, especially if the questions and content requests are relentless. I also recently had a fan threatening to leak my content and that was very upsetting and stressful to deal with.” It is almost laughable to imagine that the people spewing this kind of sexual greed think it is warranted. Big turn off.
It can be hard to police things like this, the internet is so unregulated so there are always going to be worries of content being leaked, but if this kind content is not being made on Onlyfans then you can be certain it’s being made elsewhere. Before Onlyfans people would use things like their snapchat accounts for these exact types of sexual transactions, hailed as Snapchat Premium, people can send saucy snaps and videos and receive payment through other apps such as PayPal and Cashapp. At least by using Onlyfans there is a small shimmer of a silver lining, if content is leaked the creator can report it and the Onlyfans Defense Contract Management Agency team can step in to aid the removal of the content.
You might ask, if risks like this are involved, why would anyone put themselves in that position? Why would anyone want the world to see their private images and various explicit content? Move over, grandad, this is 2020. It is a whole new world and the truth is, even if you do not understand it, people do things simply just because they enjoy it. It is not such an alien concept for some people, as it is for others.
In fact, Lucy considers it a very normal thing to do. When asked why she joined Onlyfans she said that she “had the idea to start an account for quite some time” before she actually did it, noting that she was “definitely encouraged by it becoming a more common thing to do.” Lucy also added that she had “previously created similar explicit content on other sites before.” making it something she knew she “would be able to handle and work with.”
Further to this, Lucy explained “I consider it a very normal thing, creating this kind of content is nothing new to me and it is easy and enjoyable for me to create content that other people will also enjoy.” There is a saying that goes along with this: If you have got it, then flaunt it.
The lifestyle of an Onlyfans creator does have a certain appeal and could be especially tempting to students, even if you are only earning a few hundred a month. Every little helps. Money always seems to be an issue with students, and as student debts climb it might invite students down interesting routes to fund their university lives. The notion that sex sells is nothing new, the money involved with this kind of work, yes that’s right - it is work, is definitely an attraction. Sex and money might be two of the most powerful pulls in this world. As Lucy says, “The money I make from the platform is probably the main reason, however it's also nice to know that I am desired, and it makes me happy knowing that people enjoy my content.” We all desire work that fulfils us, we want jobs that we enjoy and that we can earn a sustainable living from. And to Lucy’s point, we all want to be wanted. So, it is simple when you think about it, if people are willing to pay you for sex services and content, you are ticking off all three of those things.
Moving away from why people might choose to create content on Onlyfans, it may also be wondered why subscribers use Onlyfans rather than free sites such as Pornhub. Why are people willing to give their own money to creators for a kind of satisfaction that they could find elsewhere online for free? Lucy says that “I believe people mostly subscribe to my Onlyfans rather than using free porn sites because in most cases I’m a person they know or at least someone with mutual friends.” She also adds that by paying for her content rather than using free sites subscribers may “feel more connected and closer to me and my content which I believe makes it more exciting for my subscribers compared to viewing popular pornstars they have no connection to.”
What we are seeing here is that people are seeking some kind of connection along their sexual desires, why stare into the cold eyes of someone you don’t know, aware you are unlikely to have any real form of contact with them, when you can pay something extra to heighten your satisfaction - an add on illusion with someone you might actually know. Equally, almost in return, Lucy notes that she feels connected to her fans, “they are seeing a different side to me than what everyone else sees.”
So, despite a few earlier mentioned drawbacks to well-intentioned features of this platform, Onlyfans does seem to have an overall humanizing effect on performers and the suggested ‘naughty’ nature of sex work. It allows the subscriber the illusion of knowing the creator, more so if they actually do know the person in real life. This seems to be one of the more attractive features of this platform, it is more appealing if you feel connected to the person you are watching, rather than seeing strangers on various porn sites. It is almost a win-win situation, subscribers get what they want with an added sense of comfort and creators earn from this whilst having the upper hand of control. With Onlyfans our prurient curiosities are embraced, encouraged and likely satisfied without exploiting creators. It’s a good system.
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