What do people think about the phrase “solo sex” when referring to masturbation? I’ve seen this mostly from sex educators and the sex positive community— perhaps as a way to validate masturbation as a genuine form of sexual expression? And I suppose some people who are very sexual and adventurous but are single and not seeking out partners could use this term/concept to describe their sex life. Do you think this term is silly? Unnecessary? Or useful? What do you call masturbation?
9 comments
I call it “me time”
Seems like an extension of the push to encourage counting foreplay as “sex” too, as a way to reduce people’s insecurity for not having long duration PIV “sex.”
Don’t see how it’s hurting anyone, so it’s fine by me if folks want to call it that.
Alone Time
Me time
Self-Love
It is a sexual act that you do with yourself, so solo sex is an appropriate term for it.
Also, as a sex journalist myself, often we need to vary our language so our articles aren’t monotonously repeating the same phrases over and over again.
I mean, that’s what it is, solo sex. Most people choose to rush it and use it as nothing but a quick way to get an orgasm and some temporary feel good, but if you take time, explore, tease, test, and challenge yourself, masturbation can be an amazing, drawn out, hugely gratifying, and educational experience.
I tend to call it “me time”.
It’s fine. Call it whatever you want. I call it jerkin one out.
I call it masturbation, jerking off for guys. Sometimes I say “touch myself”. I don’t use the term solo sex because to me sex is intercourse. I don’t really have an opinion on others using it though.
Yes I’m aware that to others sex could include different things. I’m only defining sex for me.
Feels like an attempt to rebrand masturbation to escape the stigma attached to it, until the stigma just follows along. Then they’ll have to rebrand again.
Personally, masturbation is a different feeling and purpose than sex. They have a lot of things in common, but are still drastically different things. I have no interest in calling it solo sex.
I also feel like “solo” sex actually makes it sound more lonely.
Generally speaking I hate rebranding terms because over time the meaning morphs and often as not as used to disguise it. And then people can’t communicate anymore because we don’t know for example if we were talking about sleeping with someone or having sex with someone or if we are talking about vagrants or someone whose home has burned down etc.
That said, I do like the gender specific term “Jilling off“ as an equivalent to the other gender specific term “jacking off“ as it solves an asymmetry in the language.