Enablers

Keizo · Post by **Keizo** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 7:58 pm

I was wondering to what extent does ASFR pacify other urges that might be considered “harmful” to some people. One of the greatest appeals to me of having a fembot as a companion is that no one is harmed. Part of the reason I don’t see transformation as an option for a human is that I feel that one is only creating a “copy” of the original because even the information on computers pose only copies of the original files. The human dies while the copy believes that it is a transformed being. Forced transformation takes this a step further and creates a true victim. But I digress.

What got me thinking about this was a post in this thread:
http://www.fembotcentral.com/viewtopic. ... 64&start=0

It was suggested a fembot (or the mere fantasy) can be used to placate coercion and/or rape of a human. While I acknowledge that to do so on a machine would not harm a person, as was my original premise, my fear is that if this was a reality, it would embolden the user much like violent video games have given some people a skewed version of actual confrontation. This would have the opposite effect if someone who is prone to aggressive urges cannot have that immediate artificial fix and therefore act out on another human. Another potential danger is in the realm of child molestation if it could be acted out with a robot in the form of a child with the excuse that no one was harmed in the process. This may also create a more aggressive monster. Neither scenario treats the symptoms but, wrongfully, humors them.

Thoughts?

PsychoKirby · Post by **PsychoKirby** » Thu Jun 18, 2009 5:11 am

One of the factors (though not the only factor) in me being an ASFRian is that my family has had three generations of domestic abusers, and I worry that I'd become the same thing if I ever got into a human relationship.

Robots can't reproduce, so there would be no worry about child abuse. And any companionship robot would be programmed to try and please me, so I'd be less likely to become angry with her. And if I did (though I certainly hope such a thing never happens), it would be less serious if I attacked a robot than I did a human.

I'm not an ASFRian because I WANT to be a domestic abuser (and believe me, I do NOT want to be), nor would I be using robots as an outlet for it. But I am sort of afraid I would become one, and robots would be able to prevent that for me.

droidlvr · Post by **droidlvr** » Thu Jun 18, 2009 6:40 am

PsychoKirby,glad you put that out. I hope that no one here posts any judgmental comments.

Teknophile · Post by **Teknophile** » Thu Jun 18, 2009 7:49 am

I think that the effect of exposure to ASFR really depends on the person viewing it.

In my case, reading and writing erotica acts as a kind of release valve: My endocrine system gets its romp at home, so I can go through life without getting distracted by every low-cut top passing by, having already gotten most of those hormones out of my system. I suppose it's similar to some of my friends who play Halo to blow off steam, then are better able to focus on classwork afterwards.

As you(Keizo) pointed out, there are also those folks who just can't seem to get enough, like the kids who get drawn in to video game violence and start planning out scenarios in the real world. Rather than helping sublimate and deal with their antisocial urges, the games (or erotica, or robots) act like a drug, making them seek out more powerful "highs" in the real world. It's people like these we should really be concerned about.

Practically speaking, I'm not sure if there really is a solution to this problem. If sex robots ever did become a reality, I doubt there would be any reliable way to screen out the obsessives/potential abusers. The same technology that helps one individual to lead a happy, well-balanced life could also become addictive to an individual with a different psychological makeup.

I guess that, in the end, we'll just have to hope that the abusers are few, and that the benefits of robotics ultimately outweigh any harm the technology inflicts in the wrong hands.

TheSpotConlon · Post by **TheSpotConlon** » Thu Jun 18, 2009 8:24 am

Kirby brings up an excellent point, and I commend him for being the first to breach what could be a difficult topic. How much are our desires, our fantasies, our fetishes determined by our fears and our knowledge of how the world occasionally screws us?

I know that my interest in this community came at a time I probably would have been reckless enough to cause harm to myself or others. After a bad breakup, during a period of substance abuse, and, possibly worst of all, still in high school. I pretty much didn't care what I did, because I thought that no one else cared. That's when I discovered the old LTBSA, Xeran and HREF's old stuff. This would have been early in 2001, which makes me feel aged. The point is that I discovered this idea of an android partner, something simpler and devoted. The idea of creating a companion which is exactly what you want appealed to me; it was a stop-gap measure, trying to something which would make total sense while I was in chaos. I don't know what would have happened otherwise, but I do know that this fantasy allowed me a safe place when there was no other.

The only thing that worries me is that I'm now using this as a crutch, finding myself unable to enjoy a meaningful sexual relationship without the trappings of the fantasy. It has been helpful, but I don't want it to subsume my outside life.

fection · Post by **fection** » Thu Jun 18, 2009 10:23 am

When I was younger, I remember wondering at one point 'Will this interest I have affect any relationship I might develop in the future?'. It certainly made me very shy with girls for many years. There are times when I wonder how much of the-jerk-that-is-Charlie (from my stories) is based on how I might behave unhindered by conscience. But it seems that in the real world that arbitrary sense of conscience taught to me as a kid still remains and I'm relieved to find myself treating people well. I wonder how many of us harbour secret fears of turning into our fathers. I wish I had had a better example at times.

rabiator · Post by **rabiator** » Thu Jun 18, 2009 1:24 pm

There is a lot of unproven claims on this and similar topics that a "simulation" is either cathartic (thus relieving and defusing the urge) or training a person to be more inclined to do the same thing to real people.
Child molestation, child pornography, violence in computer games...
...it is always the same discussion. So far there seems to be little to none real evidence either way.

The only case where I've noticed an effect from personal experience is about violence:
When I trained martial arts for a few years at university (and collected the occasional bruise myself

), I actually found myself becoming calmer and more balanced. Having a better idea of what can happen in a fight was also good.
So while one case hardly makes for valid statistics, I find myself more in agreement with the people who argue for harmless outlets to replace the real thing.