As awesome as many things can be, nothing is all awesome all of the time — not even webcam. Here are the five worst things about camming — just so you know.
1. The lack of intimacy
Obviously this isn’t a big deal for everyone. and that’s okay. Sex — performance or otherwise — can just be sex, or sex can be something spiritual or meaningful or loving. Or, it can be both… Or it can be something else entirely. It really depends on your own relationship with your body and sexual identity.
For some, cam modeling can be exhausting emotionally. Many cam models work full time, and it can be difficult to feel sexy every single day. And if you aren’t into it, patrons and viewers will probably be able to pick up on that. Sometimes pulling yourself up by your bootstraps doesn’t work either. You’ll just have to accept that today isn’t a good day to cam.
“It can be difficult when you cam as much as I do, trying to be sexy when you’re not feeling very sexy but still need to put in the hours,” model Katy Kay told us about the work.
2. The scammers and creepers
Ah, the creeps. They’re everywhere even if you aren’t a cam model. They are the guys who send you patronizing messages asking for often the strangest or most disgusting things… And when payment is mentioned, they fizzle into dust in the air, gone as quickly as they came.
Or worse, they scam you.
Scammers in the cam modeling industry are abundant, and many newbies don’t know the warning signs, including fake agency interview requests which are cheap attempts at seeing you perform for free under the guise of potential employment.
3. The startup costs
One may think all they’ll ever need to cam is a laptop with a webcam. This isn’t exactly true.
Not only will you probably/eventually have to invest in a higher-quality webcam or smartphone for performing, but you’ll also need a lot of other stuff including:
- A quality microphone
- High-speed internet
- Cosmetics
- Props
- Lights
- Sex toys
- Lingerie and other clothing
You’re a performer, and every detail can improve how well you are received by patrons. So unfortunately, you’ll need to pour a bit of money into your career. There are some ways to start out small — check out our tips on “Successful Camming on a Budget” here — but eventually some costs will come.
4. The possibility of being outed or recorded
If you are not comfortable with anyone in your personal or professional life knowing about your cam modeling career, you might feel some anxiety starting out. There is, sadly, always the opportunity for your photos to be saved, your videos to be recorded and uploaded to a tubesite and for you yourself to be recognized out in the real world for your cam work.
This is something a cam model will just have to accept or resort to concealing their faces in videos, which isn’t even allowed on a lot of camming websites. Out of every negative element you may experience in your cam career, being outed is definitely the biggest risk.
5. The stigma
How could we ever forget the annoying ever-present anti-sex stigma that still lingers around sex work and cam modeling?
If you’re an out and proud cam model, good for you! If you’re not, we totally get why you would never want anyone to know. Trying to explain what you do as a career to a new person can be tricky — or downright dangerous, depending on the situation. If you have to keep it a secret, that’s totally understandable. But still, having to keep your career a secret because of social stigma is an inconvenience, to say the least.
“It can be difficult having to explain to certain people what I do for a living and I often resort to lying about it,” Kay shared.
No shame in taking a moment…
You may need to spend money to make money and the social stigma doesn’t look like it is going away anytime soon, but cam modeling is still a very lucrative career path to take. Even if our five reasons cam modeling sucks sometimes turned you off, what’s stopping you from at least trying it out?
You’ll only know if it is the right choice for you if you give it a shot!
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Em Casalena is a queer sex positive writer and professional protective mom friend. Email them at em@ynotcam.com.
Image via Nick Cowie.
