Despite an understandable and somewhat unavoidable dry spell in 2020 (to no fault of your own), your sex life in the year ahead is looking good.
While some of 2020’s trends are predicted to stick around, namely virtual intimacy that includes phone sex and sex toy masturbation — Wow Tech Group, the parent company of We-Vibe, Womanizer and Arcwave, reported a 200% increase in sex toy sales in April 2020, compared to the year prior — a handful of new trends are also expected to emerge as we find our groove.
In an effort to find out more about the sex trends set to define the next 12 months, leading pleasure product brand, We-Vibe, consulted the experts. Or sexperts, if you will.
Here are some of the biggest sex trends you’ll come to know better in 2021.
Audio Porn
Porn found a new platform recently, with the success of audio porn apps like Dipsea seeing an 84% subscriber increase March 2020.
“With porn reportedly being used as a common tool to relieve stress, anxiety and negative feelings, it is no surprise that during the pandemic, the viewing of porn increased globally. With the increased viewing of porn, we also saw an increase in audio erotica hit the nation,” We-Vibe says.
Audio porn, despite perhaps being more discreet, allows listeners to control certain aspects of the sexual journey with their individual imaginations. More than just sexually-charged stories, apps like Dipsea also have guides to improving your sex life, with guides to edging in solo and partner play.
Virtual Sex
Intimacy continues to find a new home online as long-distance lovers proceed to get off from afar. “Whether sexting or masturbating together in front of the camera – 2020 revealed that couples are looking for new ways to defy distance and restrictions and embrace each other sexually,” We-Vibe says in a press release.
App-controlled and remote-controlled sex toys will see a new resurgence following their uptick in 2020. Search data shows queries around ‘long-distance sex toys’ increased by 82% in March 2020, and the We-Vibe Chorus was perhaps the sex toy to define quarantine as couples used the We-Connect app to give their partners orgasms from afar.
Sex Education
No, not the Netflix series, although Sex Education has sparked conversations and criticism to sex education in school curriculums, namely that the course’s inadequacy is doing young people a disservice.
“A recent survey revealed 94% of respondents stated that neither male nor female masturbation was discussed in sex education classes. Fortunately, there are more and more apps, podcasts and documentaries on the subject, with sexperts foreseeing that sex education and sexual empowerment-centric topics will be on the forefront of 2021, continuing to breakdown the stigmas and taboos associated with pleasure.”
In 2021, We-Vibe hopes to see more public figures and celebrities use their platforms to educate and encourage self-pleasure. In recent months, Lily Allen did just that, even teaming up with Womanizer to release her very own product as part of the #IMasturbateDoYou campaign.
Male Sex Tech
Safe to say people with penises have been somewhat missing out on the joys of sex toys as engineers and manufacturers focused on pleasure products for people with vulvas. In 2021, though, a renewed focus will be placed on enhancing masturbation for people with penises, and in fact, the technology has already arrived.
“With the launch of the newest male pleasure brand Arcwave in late 2020, which promises a whole new kind of pleasure with reported “mind-blowing” orgasms, 2021 will see a focus on redefining masculinity and elevating male masturbation.”
The Arcwave Ion is already on the market for $299.