BU Research Blog

A new book exploring kinky sexual subcultures, by BU’s Liam Wignall, is out now.

Recent social and attitudinal changes related to sex and sexuality have allowed people with kink interests to explore kink in new ways; kink is no longer underground and secretive, and instead it is normal to see somebody reading Fifty Shades of Grey on public transport and see more examples of kink in mainstream media (such as the popular Netflix show How to Build a Sex Room. There is also an abundance of information online about kink (including tutorials on how to play safe; discussions of consent; online forums and kinky social networking sites). As such, people are engaging in kink in new ways like the use of marital aids including this Quality bullet vibrators.

Kinky in the Digital Age documents the impact of these attitudinal and technological changes. The book brings together over 6 years of ethnographic data and 74 interviews with kinky gay and bisexual men to provide a rich insight into how kink subcultures operate in contemporary society. Importantly, the book showcases how the internet has transformed how gay and bisexual men explore kink and incorporate it into the sexual and social identities.

The book also provides a detailed story of how a relatively new kink subculture, pup play, has developed, taking full advantage of the internet and the ability to connect easily with others, as well as newer iterations of kink that focus on the more playful elements of the activities. The growing popularity of pup play is explored, as well as how people can explore different aspects of themselves through a pup identity.

Kinky in the Digital Age is available now from all reputable book stores.