I'm writing this with a heavy heart and, frankly, a deep sense of disgust. Not because I'm prudish or closed-minded—quite the opposite. I consider myself remarkably open to different perspectives on sexuality, work, and personal freedom. But what I've witnessed with OnlyFans and the feminist movement's embrace of it represents something so fundamentally corrupting that I can no longer remain silent.
Let me be clear from the start: this isn't about judging individual women who've found themselves on this platform. Many are victims of circumstances far beyond their control. This is about the system itself, the cultural rot it represents, and the breathtaking hypocrisy of those who champion it as "empowerment."
The Platform That Devours Souls
OnlyFans has become the digital equivalent of a Victorian-era brothel, except with better marketing and feminist endorsement . The platform's very structure is designed to exploit the most vulnerable aspects of human psychology—loneliness, sexual desire, and the desperate need for connection in an increasingly isolated world.
The numbers tell a horrifying story. The platform paid out over $3 billion to creators in 2022, with 34.86 million pieces of content published in July 2023 alone—a 102.2% increase from the previous year . This isn't growth; it's metastasis. We're witnessing the industrialisation of intimacy on a scale that would make the most cynical capitalist blush.
What makes this particularly nauseating is how the platform deliberately blurs the line between genuine intimacy and transactional performance . Users aren't just consuming pornography—they're buying the illusion of personal connection, of being special to someone who, in reality, views them as nothing more than a revenue stream. The psychological manipulation is breathtaking in its cruelty.
The Feminist Betrayal
Here's where my disgust reaches its peak: the feminist movement's celebration of this digital degradation as "empowerment." It's a betrayal so complete, so intellectually dishonest, that it makes me question whether modern feminism has any moral compass left at all.
The same movement that once fought against the objectification of women now cheers as women reduce themselves to digital sex objects for male consumption . They've rebranded exploitation as "choice" and called it progress. It's like watching someone celebrate their own enslavement whilst calling it liberation.
The hypocrisy is staggering. These are the same voices that rail against the male gaze, that demand respect for women's intellect and humanity, yet they applaud a platform that reduces women to their most basic sexual functions They've taken the radical feminist critique of patriarchal exploitation and turned it on its head, arguing that participating in your own commodification is somehow revolutionary.
The Psychological Carnage
The mental health consequences are devastating and well-documented. Research consistently shows that sex work is linked to higher rates of anxiety, depression, loneliness, and poor mental well-being . The stigma associated with creating sexually explicit content seeps into every aspect of creators' lives, isolating them from genuine relationships and community.
But it's not just the creators who suffer. The platform's design creates addictive consumption patterns, with users escalating their viewing habits to achieve the same level of satisfaction . We're creating a generation of men who can't form healthy relationships because they've been conditioned to view women as purchasable commodities.
The research from Italy reveals the scope of this cultural poison: 92% of young people aged 14-30 know about OnlyFans, with significant numbers accessing content despite age restrictions . We're normalising the commodification of sexuality for children, and feminists are cheering it on as progress.
The Destruction of Authentic Intimacy
What OnlyFans represents is the complete commercialisation of human intimacy. Every gesture, every word, every moment of apparent vulnerability is calculated for maximum financial return. The platform doesn't just sell sex—it sells the simulation of love, connection, and genuine human care.
This commodification poisons the well of authentic human relationships. When intimacy becomes a product to be bought and sold, it loses its capacity to create genuine bonds between people . We're raising a generation that confuses transaction with connection, performance with authenticity.
The platform's subscription model creates a particularly insidious form of exploitation. Users aren't just purchasing content—they're buying the illusion of exclusive access to another person's inner life . It's emotional manipulation dressed up as entrepreneurship.
The Economic Lie
The "economic empowerment" argument is perhaps the most cynical lie of all. Yes, some creators make substantial money, but the vast majority earn very little whilst exposing themselves to permanent reputational damage The platform takes 20% of all earnings, making it one of the most exploitative labour arrangements in the digital economy.
More fundamentally, the argument that women should monetise their sexuality because other economic opportunities are limited is an admission of societal failure, not a celebration of choice . When feminists argue that OnlyFans is empowering because women have few other options, they're essentially saying that sexual exploitation is acceptable as long as it pays well.
The Moral Vacuum
What disgusts me most is the complete absence of moral consideration in these discussions. We've become so obsessed with individual choice that we've forgotten to ask whether some choices are inherently harmful—not just to individuals, but to society as a whole.
OnlyFans doesn't exist in a vacuum. It shapes cultural attitudes towards sexuality, relationships, and human worth . When we normalise the idea that women's bodies are commodities to be purchased, we don't just harm the women involved—we degrade the entire social fabric.
The platform's impact on young people is particularly horrifying. Research shows that 21% of respondents know minors who have created OnlyFans accounts, despite age verification requirements . We're creating a culture where children see sexual commodification as a viable career path.
The Path Forward
I'm not calling for prohibition or criminalisation—that would only drive the industry underground and make things worse for the women involved. But I am calling for honesty about what OnlyFans represents: a symptom of a society that has lost its way, that confuses exploitation with empowerment and degradation with liberation.
We need to acknowledge that some forms of "choice" are so constrained by circumstance, so damaging to human flourishing, that celebrating them is morally bankrupt . We need feminists who are willing to say that not everything women choose to do is automatically empowering.
Most importantly, we need to rebuild a culture that values human dignity over profit, that recognises intimacy as sacred rather than saleable, and that offers young people—especially young women—genuine paths to fulfilment that don't require them to commodify their sexuality.
The moral degradation represented by OnlyFans and celebrated by extreme feminism isn't progress—it's regression to the most exploitative aspects of human nature, dressed up in the language of liberation. Until we're willing to confront this honestly, we'll continue our descent into a culture that treats human beings as products and calls it empowerment.
Gerd Dani is President of Free Astroscience, Science and Cultural Group, where complex social phenomena are examined through the lens of rigorous analysis. This piece represents a personal reflection on one of the most troubling cultural developments of our time.
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