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OnlyFans has the potential to be fruitful and empowering, and it has the potential to be traumatic and exploitative. Each creator holds a different perspective and outcome of participating on the platform. This is all dependent on the social, cultural, and individual perceptions of sex work and sexuality.

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Marginalized Communities in Sex Work

“Many sex workers, especially those from marginalized groups, have told me they found it difficult or impossible to get or keep jobs in other industries, making sex work their only option to earn a living.” (“Sex work, part of the online gig economy, is a lifeline for marginalized workers”)

offers lifestyle of financial stability and pleasure

increasing presence of priviliged groups takes opportunities away from those who need it

OnlyFans economy already fragile and unequal

celebrities

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Privileged Communities in Sex Work

90s: inequalities in new tech industry– middle-class/credentialed women enter sex industry

for fun and pleasure

privilege to choose between sex work and other careers

helped de-stigmatize sex work – still stigmatized for marginalized groups

the appropriation of poverty glorifies classism in America: aesthetic poverty is just a reminder of the wide inequality in this country, and the readiness of the upper class to appropriate lower classes’ struggle while simultaneously exhibiting disdain for them.” (“The Glorification of the Working Class”)

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Misogynistic Society

OnlyFans/sex industry dominated by male audience

assuming we do not live in a post feminist society– OnlyFans will be objectifying and exploitative

generational sexual trauma of black women– harmful affects today – experience more violence and objectification in sex indsutry

industry profits off of the sexual objectification of women and has an exploitative foundation/history that affects all creators

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motivated by capitalism to continuously objectify and exploit your own body

“being in charge of when and how one is to exploit their own body and sexuality, seemed to be an essential part of legitimizing the act of converting erotic capital into economic capital (Halvorsen 46).”

Narrative supports that OnlyFans grants more sexual agency than previous forms of sex work ; convinced it’s more liberating ; freeing from purity culture and sexual shame

This need goes so far as to lead individuals to continuously exploit themselves and cross personal boundaries for profit, and our culture manipulates us into perceiving this process as successful entrepreneurship.

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History of Sex Work

1800s: victims of male aggression

WWI: Villainized (diseased, burdens of society)

1960s: protests against this narrative

prostitution, street walking, brothels, pimps

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General Concerns

sexual harassment and objectification are inherent

digital footprint– can affect future career endeavors

not as profitable as you might think

Little protection against piracy

can’t control who sees content once it enters another third party site

ethics of parasocial relationships

pressure from subscribers and competition – push your personal boundaries

PTSD

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Xina breaks down the reality of OnlyFans from economic inequity to sexual traumas. Joining the platform is engaging in sex work and is a decision not to be taken likely. Very real dangers and concerns not often discussed.

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Economic Reality

OnlyFans is more economically unequal than South Africa

- most economically unequal country in the world

Top 1% of creators make 33% of all earnings on the platform

average salary is actually around $150 a month

Not that profitable without a successful pre-existing platform

highly competitive

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Positive Views on OnlyFans

Get to control your own prices and content

no pimp

protected by a screen

more autonomy/sexual agency

quick easy money

celebrities have made millions in a matter of days

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- subscription based platform launched in 2016

- became popular for creating and selling sexual content in 2020

- popularity led to the spread of certain narratives around the site