Sex Toys or Therapeutic Instrument?
This is not a particularly common topic to discuss way out loud in our Asian nation, but it is conceivable to understand how taboo and "alternative" sex dolls are. For those who do not understand its use, one may conclude that many who own a sex doll have perverted minds - low-life individuals who are inapt and tend to be creepy.
However, maybe it's time to dispel some of this. We know that many men (and women) can have severe intimacy issues and may have massive anxiety in social contexts. Sometimes so severe that they cannot satisfy their intimacy desires, including sexual ones. These are often expressed as being awkward or overly-enthusiastic about connecting with others, at the cost of appearing odd and unnatural. This would likely lead to ostracism and further alienation from the benefits of social interaction.
This article was sparked by a feature on CNET about the proliferation of the Sexbots, a particular brand of doll called Realdolls. Fully robotic, realistic and loaded with a fully configurable personality and artificial intelligence to boot, you have something coming from the Westworld set off Hollywood. The founder of Realdolls, Matt McMullen, started the company expecting these dolls to be used mostly as Sex dolls, but found that they also served those who have been hurt in their interpersonal relationships, and prefer to seek security with a more predictable sex doll companion. And yes, you can also have your way with the multiple orifices available on the doll like the usual mouth, vagina, and anus.
I've had the opportunity to see and treat many individuals who tend to withdraw from contact with their social environment - they tend to present with severe avoidant behaviour and are socially avoidant. Sometimes not because they have poor social skills, but they may not trust being close to anyone. These individuals may dismiss others and prefer to be self-reliant. This does not mean that they do not desire at some level, a limited emotional connection with someone. As I've said before, we are all hard-wired for human connection. It is no wonder these individuals are emotionally suppressed, and avoidant.
Imagine if these Realdolls were more accessible to the lonely and socially weary. I wonder what impact would it have on our society and its view on interpersonal relationships. Furthermore, with the advent of virtual reality technology, real, usable virtual sex is not too much of a distant future away. What do you think?
For the CNET article, head to https://www.cnet.com/special-reports/abyss-creations-ai-sex-robots-headed-to-your-bed-and-heart/
Let's look at the multiple ways of understanding this complex phenomena.