Sex is a natural urge and quite essential for procreation. It is also a gratifying and satisfying activity that we highly recommend. Apart from having sex with a partner, the other option is to use sex toys. Believe us when we tell you the adult toy industry has come a long way since the invention of the first mechanized vibrator over 150 years ago.
Another thing we must point out is that sex toys have become mainstream and readily accepted by society. Still, many find issues with sex toys, so here we’ll discuss the psychological aspect of using various sex toys. Please read on as we explain how sex toys influence one’s self-esteem, help with sexual satisfaction, and can improve relationship dynamics.
What Are Sex Toys?
Sex toys are objects or devices that are used for sexual play and sexual satisfaction. We love that many of these are designed to resemble human genitals like the penis and vagina. These can be manual like the dildos and pocket pussies and battery-operated models that can vibrate, thrust, suck, pulsate, heat up, or perform another movement. Their primary goal is to bring sexual stimulation and enhance sexual pleasure. Let’s now take a look at the psychological aspect of using sex toys and how these impact individuals and couples.
Psychological Benefits of Sex Toys
Let’s discuss the main topic of our article and outline the leading psychological effects sex toys have. The main thing we’ll start with is the fact that sex toys can enhance anyone’s sexual experience. There are sex toys for people of all experiences, so we suggest you look for the toy best suited to your experience level.
The following psychological benefit sex toys bring is they help improve body positivity. Using a sex toy to explore your own body promotes a healthier outlook on your body image. It also allows you to overcome some of the negative misconceptions you may have about your body. It dramatically increases self-esteem, which positively affects the overall outlook on life.
Using sex toys allows you to learn about your body and explore your sexual preferences. Exploring some sexual fantasies can be tricky, especially if you are afraid to share them with your partner or you want to try something new. But taking advantage of the correct sex toy can potentially lead to more fulfilling sexual experiences and discovering more of your desires.
Sex and orgasms are therapeutic, so using sex toys to achieve more orgasms is excellent for your health. Also, one of the key effects of regular orgasms is the reduction of stress and anxiety, and, of course, better sleep and more profound relaxation. If you ask us, these are all great effects from regular sex toy use, which we highly recommend you try.
Potential Issues with Sex Toy Use
While we are all for self-exploration and sexual liberation, there are some potential issues related to sex toy use. Namely, the main one is becoming emotionally or psychologically dependent on sex toys, either for sexual satisfaction or for self-worth. It can become a real problem for people who are too reliant on sex toys and are not open to exploring things with an actual partner.
Another potential issue of the over-use of sex toys is that these may establish unrealistic expectations of what a partner should provide. Also, similar to over-dependence on pornography, some sex toys may lead to unrealistic expectations about body image and partnered sex.
Here, we need to mention some new technologies that are now found in many sex toys. We are talking about using VR technology in combination with sex toys, where people get a quasi-immersive sexual experience. While it may be a good and thrilling experience for some, we must pose the question of twisting reality and creating an unhealthy outlook on reality.
Achieving an orgasm is both a physiological and a psychological experience and for some, doing this with a sex toy can bring a feeling of shame or guilt. It may be more common in people who come from cultures where sex toy use is not widespread or discussed openly.
Overuse of some sex toys can have an adverse effect on the sensory sensitivity of the body, and some individuals may even become desensitized to regular stimulation and can only achieve orgasms via using sex toys. Sometimes, this can contribute to negative body images or concerns, like the question, “What is wrong with me?” However, moderate use of sex toys should not make any impact on this, which is why we always advise you to start low and go slow.
Sex Toys Are Beneficial for Relationships
Using sex toys in a relationship can have a positive effect on the partners. For one, it can enhance communication and significantly boost the intimacy between the partners. Just introducing the sex toy in the relationship and trying it once can be highly effective, as it forces the partners to talk about their expectations and share their hidden desires.
It can help both partners fight any insecurity about their place in the relationship. But please note that for this, you both should approach the sex toy use with open minds and open communication. You both should accept that the sex toy is not a replacement for the partner but is meant to improve the relationship and provide mutual satisfaction. When done correctly, using sex toys in a relationship will strengthen the relationship. For this, we suggest you look for sex toys for couples or check out finger vibrators that are handy when you wish to add something extra to partnered sexy time.
The remote-controlled vibrators and app-controlled sex toys also help bridge a distance gap, which positively affects any long-distance relationship and brings partners closer. By being able to share a sexual experience even when apart, a couple will experience a boost in intimacy, which brings comfort to the partners and further strengthens the relationship.
Let’s also note that when you introduce sex toys into your relationship, you can challenge or even break the traditional gender norms. Think in terms of trying pegging or strap-on sex, and if you feel intrigued, then take a look at the specialized sex toys, and you’ll get some ideas.
Who Should Use Sex Toys?
There is no limit to who can use sex toys as long as we are talking about consenting adults. However, we must note that younger people are more likely to use sex toys; namely, they are more open to trying different things. However, there are many benefits from sex toys that older individuals can reap, especially people with limited mobility or other health issues.
There may be some cultural boundaries related to sex toy use. Often, more conservative societies tend to have an adverse attitude towards sex toys. Personal upbringing also plays a role here, and this can sometimes have a strong psychological impact on how some people receive and use sex toys.
Men & Women & Sex Toys
When it comes to sex toys, women have more variety to choose from than men. It is mainly due to anatomy, as women can enjoy vaginal penetration, clitoral stimulation, and anal stimulation, as opposed to men, who are limited to penile and anal stimuli.
Women can enjoy significant benefits from sex toys; namely, many sex toys are more inclined to provide sexual pleasure and female empowerment. Historically, women’s sexual pleasure was put in the background as opposed to male sexual pleasure. But sex toys changed this, and women were free to explore their sexuality and find new ways towards sexual pleasure and orgasmic release.
Men are not left behind, as the adult toy industry has made so many improvements regarding male pleasure that men have so many options to try. It has a very positive effect on how men perform sexually, especially with the use of performance-enhancing toys like cock rings or stamina-training toys like male masturbators. But there are also sex toys that address loneliness, like sex dolls; many of these can be excellent sexual companions for people with social anxiety or other psychological issues.
The Bottom Line
As we outlined above, there are many psychological effects and benefits from regular sex toy use, and it is evident why people love using sex toys. However, we only scratched the surface here, as there are many more profound implications related to the psychology of sex toy use. Still, we must emphasize that when used correctly, sex toys can bring a better balance in the relationship dynamics and can promote healthy, fulfilling sexual experiences.
For that, we wish to invite you to browse our sex toy store, where you’ll find an incredible selection of sex toys for any taste, preference, and experience. Additionally, check out our blog; here, we share a wealth of knowledge and guides on choosing and using various sex toys that you can use as starting points in your continuous sexual exploration and improvement.