Coming of age

Throughout history sex toys have helped to shape our experiences of sexual pleasure. This chapter charts how sex toys have developed, including the rise of ‘teledildonics’. We note how the changing production, design, and consumption of sex toys, particularly but not exclusively in the Western world, have led to a greater acceptance of female sexuality. Further, the importance of sexual satisfaction for all is also evidenced by the growth in male-oriented devices. While sex toys have been embraced in recent popular culture, some feminist writers have challenged these positive view of sex toys. We illustrate how academics see sex toys as falling into three categories and suggest the addition of a fourth, reflecting advances in digital technologies including artificial intelligence, augmented reality, sex robots, and the advent of the quantified self. The chapter outlines the dangers inherent in the use of such devices both in terms of data privacy and of the need for legal instruments to keep pace with technological change.