Number of webcam models on the rise
A Newsbeat investigation’s located a rising number of English women are working as cam models on the internet.
Market analysts the overall webcam market is right now worth more than a billion pounds, with online sex shows a big part of it.
Industry insiders claim there’s been a rise in applications, partly fuelled by the economic depression, with hundreds of British women signing up to UK websites every month, many more internationally.
They appear live on webcams that could be accessed on computers around the world.
Men generally pay premium rates intended for the privilege.
Twenty-three-year-old Lauren’s been operating as a webcam model for a few months.
She works with a few other girls in a basement of a semi-detached house that’s been converted into a studio.
It’s been furnished to seem like two different rooms. On one side there’s a bed, one the other side of the coin a sofa.
Girls wear fancy underwear and headsets to talk to punters within the webcams. Lauren told Newsbeat she can make up to £ 30 per hour with additional bonuses.
“You would ever guess, it is talking dirty. You already know, if they ask me to have my top off, I will perform. ”
Big demand
It’s a secretive international industry. Females can work from anywhere in the world, posing naked and talking clearly about sex.
Lauren
Lauren says she can make up to £ 30 per hour to be a webcam girl
Market analysts say overall the webcam market progressed from around £ 730m in 2006 to £ 1 ) 1bn in 2008.
It’s predicted to almost double in well worth again by 2015, with pornographic webcam sites driving a vehicle much of that growth.
They say it’s more hidden from analysts than other segments, but is a “lively” part of the market.
The most popular site is big in size, claiming to have about 27, 000 webcam models and 17 million people, with around 12, 000 new sign-ups each day.
Brodie Fry set up one of the websites. He told Newsbeat the recession provides contributed to more women working because webcam models.
“A lot of women through this sort of economic downturn will transfer to the adult industry.
This puts tremendous pressure on women within the industry to perform more
Object campaign group
“This is actually a safe alternative to becoming a great escort or an adult version. There’s total anonymity. Of course , the operators don’t use all their real names.
One site told Newsbeat in the last year it’s put extra 42 British women usually a month on its literature.
Richard Smallbone recently set his very own webcam site. He advised Newsbeat up to 150 English women are signing up to UK sites a month, with many additional joining international sites.
He said: “We started off with 12 dating profiles and there would be one lady working during the day.
“Eighteen months down the line, we’ve 80 different profiles, anything up to 16 girls functioning during the day. ”
‘Enormous pressure’
But there are concerns. Campaigners say webcam girls could be pressurised into doing things they’re not comfortable with.
Mobile phone
Mobile adult services are usually the next growth area
Anna van Heeswijk’s from Object, which promotions against the sexual exploitation of girls, said the industry needs to be better regulated.
“It is the man exactly who decides which women this individual wants to choose, depending on what she looks like and how she’s willing to behave sexually.
“This puts great pressure on women within the industry to perform more and more excessive versions of pornography in order to attract men, in order to make a living. ”
Lauren has no such worries. The lady said her priority is her three-year-old daughter and insists she’s not being taken advantage of.
“A porno gratis lots of my friends are working in outfits shops and stuff, they’ve got no money.
“I could do two alterations in a week and Now i am still earning more money than they are and I get to spend all day, every day, with my little girl.
“I didn’t want to be at work all day and get her in nursery. I actually wouldn’t be able to see her. ”
It’s not only on the internet where web cam models are becoming more popular.
Juniper Research anticipates that revenues chat sexo españa from portable adult services will rise from £ 1 . 3 or more bn in 2008 to £ 2 . 9bn by 2013 – part of that growth is from webcams on mobiles.