Most of them are married or in committed relationships. They like to do it at home,
although some prefer the office. Though most don't feel bad about it, they don't tell
others how much time they're doing it. And some -- those who spend 11 or more hours a week
doing it -- admit they have a problem.
"They" are people engaging in "cybersex" -- logging on to the
Internet daily for sexual pursuits such as using chat rooms or accessing sexually explicit
information. Sex is an integral part of the Internet says Alvin Cooper, the
study's lead author and training coordinator in the Department of Counselling and
Psychological Services at Stanford University.
The study is to be published in April's American Psychological Association journal,
"Professional Psychology: Research and Practice."
The Internet has spawned a new sexual revolution that involves
an estimated 9
million people who log on daily for sexual pursuits, said Cooper, who is also
director of the San Jose Marital and Sexuality Centre. The Internet has evolved as a
really
powerful force in sexuality because of its "Triple-A engine" -- the
affordability, accessibility and anonymity it allows users.
The study is noteworthy because of its attempt to establish
who goes on-line for
sexual pursuits, where they go and whether it seems to be causing problems in their lives.
The study found the potential for trouble is there.
It also involved an unusually large sample size: Almost 9,200 adults who responded to a
questionnaire on the MSNBC Web site last year. Most -- 86 percent -- of the respondents
were male. Roughly half of those surveyed -- 47 percent -- were married. Another 17
percent were in committed relationships.
The study found that men liked to view visual erotica on the Internet, while women
preferred chat rooms -- perhaps, the authors believe, because women may prefer
more
interaction and the development of relationships.
The study also suggests that truthfulness -- at least among those using the Internet
for sex -- might be an antiquated notion in the so-called information age. Roughly six out
of 10 admitted lying about their age while online. Almost four out of 10 said they
misidentified their race. Though 87 percent didn't feel distressed about the time they
spent online for sexual purposes, three of four kept it a secret.
Only about 8 percent were determined to have "sexually compulsive features"
because they spend 11 or more hours a week using the Internet for sex and believe the
behavior interferes with their lives. Sex on the Internet isn't good or bad,
Cooper says. It's what people do with it. It's kind of like alcohol. You can use it to
really enhance your life or to destroy your life.
(And just a little snippet from small town America)
Others though, like those at the Colorado Springs-based ministry, Focus on the Family,
are concerned that the Internet is luring more and more people down a destructive path.
People
are finding that the Internet gives them a safe way to explore sexuality, says Steve
Watters, an Internet research analyst for Focus. The organization is starting to hear more
from families who never struggled with pornography before. All of a sudden this same
person who would never slip into an adult store is exploring this in the privacy of his
own home, Watters said.
