Its obvious that the internet and sex go hand in hand.
Just by typing a single profanity into Google, you are able to enter a seedy world which caters to pretty much anything you’ll ever want or desire.
The 21st century is renowned for coming up with new ways to sell, create and sexualise pretty much anyone and anything.
If there is a way of making money quickly in the sex industry, Google knows all about it.
This is why it is easier than ever for normal girls, even students, to turn into money-making porn stars and cam girls overnight.
All you need is a webcam and the common understanding that everything you do will be out there on the internet, forever.
With tuition fees at an all time high and students doing five days of uni, left over cash is something pretty much unheard of for someone studying in Central London.
This is why more and more girls are turning to ‘camming’ or ‘escorting’ in their free time in order to have enough money to make ends meet.
Researching into this further by actually talking to girls that have done so, I have found out how much money escorts and cam girls can make in a day.
The results are astonishing.
Speaking to Rosie, a student studying finance at a London university who is also a part-time escort, I was surprised to see just how casual the whole escorting world really is:
“I started getting into it when I was nineteen, I was completely strapped for cash and I did it as a joke to be honest,” she said.
“There are so many dating apps that put you out there, it’s so easy to post a couple of sexy images on them and honestly, just sit back and wait.”
Something that started as a silly night of drunken fun between a few uni students in halls turned into something that now pays for Rosie’s bills, food and transport.
As well as having enough left over for lavish nights out on the town.
“I didn’t actually take it seriously until I started talking to this guy on an app called ‘Seeking Arrangement’, he was a fair bit older than me and it was obvious he was wealthy.
“I found myself agreeing to go out for dinner with him at this crazy expensive sushi bar, we actually had a great time.
“He was funny and charismatic and never mentioned anything sexual once. It wasn’t until the end of the night where he slipped £500 into the pocket of my jacket that I realised I had simply been paid for a nice chat and some food.”
“That’s when I thought to myself ‘yeah I can definitely get used to this’.
“Escorting isn’t necessarily about sex. You’d be surprised to see how many older men just want company or somebody to feel like an ‘alpha male’ with.”
As a struggling student living in central London, it’s safe to say that my third year of university has been the hardest when attempting to juggle work and study.
The thought of been taken out, wined and dined and paid at the end of it was one that appealed to me greatly.
With all this in mind, I couldn’t shake the urge to investigate further.
It is more common now days for young girls to be completely open about their sex lives than they were ten or so years ago, with the sexualisation of young celebrities and women claiming ‘empowerment’ via posting naked photos of themselves on social media for their followers to ogle at, it’s clear that there is less of a stigma than there used to be.
The question is, should escorting even be an option for young females?
According to BBC Newsbeat, a study found that more than a fifth of students had thought about being involved in the sex industry and one in 20 students who took part said they’d worked either in glamour modelling, web-cam modelling, stripping or prostitution.
There is evidence that suggests fewer students are working while in full-time education.
The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) says its figures suggest 29% of 16 to 24-year-olds were working in 2015.
That’s a 7% fall from 10 years earlier.
Interviewing another girl, going by the name of ‘Sarah’ I asked if she has ever felt in danger whilst escorting:
“Once you start, it’s difficult to stop.
“The money is worth it but sometimes clients can be a little rough or not know when to stop but that’s rare. I know of the dangers but I try and meet them in public areas and would never go home with someone I didn’t trust.’
However trustworthy someone may seem, it’s always difficult to tell.
There have been many articles online about missing escorts and the murders of young girls by older men.
On January 12th 2016, Georgina Symonds was murdered by her ‘sugar daddy’ Peter Morgan in a vicious attack that took place in his home.
Another incident that occurred was the brutal killing of Paige Birgfeld whose remains were only found 2012 when she went missing in 2008, it was said that she was murdered by one of her clients.
Although escorting can be easy money and could give a struggling student in her early 20s a taste of the good life, the chances of being publicly humiliated or worse, murdered are way too greater risks, I feel for anyone to consider.
Perhaps I’ll just get a bar job?
Featured Image courtesy of Jason Lander via Creative Commons Flickr