Ever since the release of Facebook, the growth of social media and online platforms like Onlyfans, Escapenow, Tango have been rapid. The spread has been so far that any person irrespective of their background will be able to say that these digital platforms are here to stay and are not going anywhere. It is impossible for us to imagine a world now without the inclusion of digital interactions. The infamous space of the internet has been taken over by the hegemony of social media and digital platforms. Everyone is busy taking selfies of even the most private moments of their lives just to post them on social media. The only prerogative here is to show other people how “cool” and “exciting” their lives are. People actually spend more time nowadays in making their caption wittier and filter more attractive than with actual physical human interactions. A world without people trying to engage themselves in an imaginary competition of getting more views and digital interactions is impossible to imagine now.

Texting sexual stuff through social media

Now with the pandemic still raging in most parts of the world imposing physical lockdowns and restrictions, interactions have shifted more quickly into the digital form. The already hegemonic evolution of dating scenes from traditional routes to digital platforms has created an invisible barrier in the way of physical sexual intimacy erotic or otherwise. When we talk about sexual or erotic intimacies in the digital space, we include a broad range of platforms through which people can engage in such acts digitally. For example websites such as Onlyfans, Escapenow, Tango, etc. allow creators to upload nude or seminude photographs of themselves while "fans" or subscribers can pay for the content and "enjoy" it on a "Netflix model" basis. On the other hand, several online video games allow their characters to have complete sexual relationships on their platforms. These games seem so realistic that one might forget their own existence apart from the role their characters are playing. Even through social media messenger apps like WhatsApp, Snapchat, Hike, Telegram sexual intimacies are being created. The word "Sexting" is a portmanteau of the words "Sex" and "Texting" which symbolizes the act of people exchanging sexually explicit media and texts. Several research studies have showcased the increasing number of users, even teenagers, being engaged in sexting. The connection between the internet and pornography is well established as well. Actually, in the time it would take for one to read the last sentence, more than 90000 people have watched porn in different forms.

Sex and sexuality have always been part of online video games. Even if for one moment we forget the proper adult-themed games like BMX XXX (2002) which has high level and very realistic female nudity and sexual acts, the attention to games mostly starts to broaden with the considerations of violence to the introduction of sex. When we consider the ideas of "proper" romance and highlight acceptable conservative ideas of heterosexuality in video games, we will find many of them with these features which have open access.

There is a game called Harvest Moon: Back to Nature (2000) on Sony PlayStation, which has very simple gameplay. The idea is basically there's a farming simulation and the main character is "you". There's no violence and no visuals of sexual nudity in the game anywhere. The game has open access to everyone. All "you" have to do is bring your farm into shape within the time frame of three years. The works involve raising livestock, growing crops while the property remains in good condition. The problematic part however starts from another equally important part of the game. "You" have to find a girl to marry "you". Now "you" are considered by definition a heterosexual and active male who in order to advance in the artificial life of a game is being encouraged to flirt with different female characters in order to date them and ultimately marry them. Surprisingly this is not the end part even. The ulterior motive behind marrying the girl is to get help in farming, which is the main set-up of the game. Young players get attracted to the game with the extensive ways through which the avatar can flirt with the female characters and convince them to marry. These phenomenons can be problematic with the concept of sexuality that was previously limited to human-to-human contact has now spilled over the digital verse with the avatar to avatar intimate contacts. Some players have treated this gaming chemistry as a sort of digital stage of foreplay before the actual physical interaction. There are several instances where these interactions between the digital avatars have resulted in real-life interactions or dates. There is a sharp increase in dating simulations in the digital sector. Now the players have the option to let the deepest fantasies out in the open to explore with several romantic or social phenomenons like flirting etc. The anonymity front has brought a sense of security and safety for them which could've been trouble for them in real-life scenarios. These dating simulations have great options for different players where they can not only choose to engage in various sexual acts but also get feedbacks for their choices. This acts as a learning lesson as well where beyond pleasure they can apply the lesson into their real life. Some dating simulations offer players several ways to explore their sexualities as well where they can have a proper and planned structure to explore themselves.

Privacy concerns in Social media intimacy:

Privacy has always been a challenging issue when it comes to sharing sexually explicit images or "nudes" through messenger apps. The concern becomes much more when one considers the toll of mental health on an individual whose private pictures have been leaked. However, everything is not dull as several studies have shown that social media sexting can actually help people who belong to the queer and sexual minority community. It is noted that interacting and engaging with individuals of similar identity gives a sense of pleasure as well as peace with the reassurance of safety.

Scholars have argued that the security and solidarity that was once provided by lifelong partners has been liquified into technological change and rampant individualization. Zygmunt Bauman in Liquid Love has argued that modern courtship has been turned into a commodified game after the introduction of Internet dating. Researches have shown that some accounts of social media intimacy practices are too pessimistic and ultimately downplay the positives of social media intimacy. However, whatever the shortcomings are, sexual expressions being shared through social media have their advantages. It offers an opportunity to the user to increase and enhance his or her sexual life and intimacy in the perspective of the real world with real people, unlike video games.