In the last year, the number of women appearing on webcams in exchange for money has skyrocketed. These “cam girls,” sometimes called “sexy cams” or “sexy tits”, have gained prominence in the adult industry. Some are fetishists or pornographers, but others are simply trying to make some extra cash. Regardless of their background, these girls face the same problems that most performers do: They are unpaid and they have limited control over their image and body.
For most people, the idea of a woman being filmed on camera while she masturbates or performs oral sex is a disturbing one. But for many women, it’s the only way to earn a living. As a result, it’s not uncommon to see images of these models everywhere online, and the term cam girl is now a household name.
The average cam girl makes a few hundred dollars a day, which isn’t enough to live on. But, since cam girls are a relatively new phenomenon, they haven’t yet developed the rights or bargaining power to set their own rates. In fact, the sites that host them usually take a large cut of the profits.
While most cam girls work on a variety of websites, some work exclusively for one of them. For example, a model named Ona Artist has over 1.3 million Instagram followers and calls herself a “camgirl celebrity.” I interviewed her to get a better sense of what life is like for someone who works on a platform such as OnlyFans.
Ona explains that it’s a lot of work to stay relevant and make the most of her popularity. She must retweet the men who send her messages and follow her on Instagram, and she has to create an appropriate social media presence. She also has to respond to viewers who ask for a private show, such as foot worship or role-play. She says the pressure from management, the grueling hours and the lack of privacy all took a toll on her.
When you see a cam girl you admire, it’s a good idea to research them before you pay for a show. For instance, you can use a reverse image search on Google to see whether they appear in any other online photos. If they do, you can often determine that they are not who they say they are and they may be a sextortionist or a scammer.