Ever since the quarantine began, the sales of sex dolls increased significantly. In fact, one company even had to hire new staff in order to keep up with the increasing demand.
The sex doll manufacturing company Sex Doll Genie said that the inquiries they receive increased by hundreds than the usual. These inquiries came from both single individuals and couples.
In addition, the company saw a total of 51.6 percent spike in orders from men in February and March 2020. There is also a 33.2 percent year-on-year growth in orders that came from couples in April.
Janet Stevenson, SexDollGenie co-founder said that the company has a lot of products in stock. However, they cannot work fast enough to keep up with the increasingly growing demand. For this reason, they are hiring staff as quickly as they can. They have also created a number of new roles in customer support and fulfillment management in both Europe and the US.
It might seem obvious why such might be the case when you first look at it. Almost everyone is quarantining with or without their partners in the midst of the pandemic. In addition, the idea that a sex doll could provide a person company in the absence of their partner.
Moreover, Dr. Kate DDevlin emphasized in her book titled “Turned On: Science, Sex, and Robots,” that people tend to associate sex dolls with single men. However, these adult items are also frequently purchased by couples, parents whose adult children are excluded socially, and those who have disabilities.
The Early Days of Artificial Intelligence
History is a witness to how quick people are in terms of ascribing technology. One of the earliest examples of artificial intelligence is ELIZA. Such is a language processor created by Joseph Weizenbaum in 1966. However, today, ELIZA is only a basic conversation stimulator that is only capable of short dialogue.
But despite the aforementioned fact, a lot of people are still drawn by ELIZA. People are aware that it was a computer program, yet they were respectful of it. A lot of people also said that they preferred interacting with the computer program instead of another human being.
On the other hand, David Levy, a British AI expert observed that humans develop stronger attachments even to technology that is not integrated with artificial intelligence. In his book called “Love and Sex with Robots,” he cited a study where the owners of the early versions of the AIBO participated. Notably, AIBO is a robotic dog.
The study found out that a significant number of AIBO owners ascribe intentional behaviors and real feelings to their robotic pets. Levy also added that people want to perceive their AI dogs as real pets. For this reason, they give dog-like emotions to those AIBOs.
Will People Find Comfort in Sex Robots?
The stigma revolving around owning a sex doll remains despite the fact that they are already becoming mainstream. However, if people can find comfort in a robotic dog or a seal like Paro the therapeutic robot, then are there chances that they find comfort in a sex robot too? A lot of people are using a variety of adult products. So, if society will reframe sex dolls as just some kind of sex toy, then there is a chance that people will look at the increase in sales quite differently.
CMG Leisure, a sex toy manufacturer, found itself short-staffed after its sales spiked up significantly during the global COVID-19 pandemic. The company’s wand vibrator costs $112. That being said, there is a huge chance that the surge in sales could come from the fact that people are treating themselves to an expensive product at a time when they have limited access to other sources of pleasure.
In addition, a life-size hyper-realistic sex doll’s price starts at around $800. On the other hand, high-end dolls could cost up to $8,000. A lot of people may have thought of trying out a sex doll before the quarantine. However, they were having a difficult time justifying the cost. But it is possible that now that there is a quarantine, people are more willing to spend their money out on things that they know would be useful to them for quite some time.
Moreover, the increase in the sales of sex dolls may also come from people’s curiosity. Plenty of adult product retailers reported an increase in their sales in March 2020. According to them, they thought that the increase was because of a “try something new” attitude. ButSex Doll Sales Spiked During Quarantine, The Reason is Not Just Loneliness according to Stevenson, SexDollGenie is not just receiving orders from single men and women. Rather, there are also couples who are open to experimenting with something new in terms of sex while they are quarantining together.
Stevenson also added that what is interesting about the significant increase in sales is that we also see a change in the demographics of buyers. Such is a positive thing for the sex doll industry. It also shows that there is changing attitude at home. She added that the traditional stereotype saying that loners chose sex dolls as a last resort is entirely inaccurate. What people are seeing right now is proof that sex doll use is becoming mainstream. This is because men and women are now both being enthusiastic about bringing a sex doll into their bedrooms.
Whether the existing increase in sales will lead to a boom for the sex doll industry is completely debatable. However, what we can be sure of is that sex dolls are here to stay. In fact, they are becoming more and more developed, thus providing people with the sexual needs they need better. If the increase in sex doll sales will continue, it will no longer be surprising if sex dolls will become a part of most households in the next decade.
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