to be shocked about university students on sugar daddy type websites

[wintersocks]

In the recent news reports - and amount of students doing it. It seems from the numbers they're talking about that this sort of thing has been normalised. I'd be horrified if dd did it at university tbh. But nobody seems especially upset does that mean this sort of thing will continue or get worse?

babycham they will have a life after university - career, relationships, families. There are implications for them which could arise from the choice. Also matters like personal safety, sexual health. They are devaluing themselves by selling their body/sexuality for a price. They are making sex and relationships into business transactions which is cynical. Theres a big difference between selling your body and selling your labour/services

I'm not dressing it up; they are prostitutes. So what? I'm all for industry regulation, but as long as it's treated as something 'seedy', unique, or special, it will continue to operate on the fringes. That's what puts the vulnerable prostitutes at greater risk; the fact that it's semi-legal.

Health and safety regs are allied to prostitution rigorously in Germany and New Zealand. It's still legal in both and harm is greatly reduced.

Wintersocks, you seem to be applying an odd Victorian view of sexy and sexuality. Why is that any more 'devaluing' than other kinds of jobs?

Rubbish Babycham. Women still get raped, beaten and killed where there is legalisation.

Of course they do. I didn't say otherwise.

Im not shocked by this. In the same way Im not shocked by prostitution, which has been around probably since time began. News reports are sensationalised to get people to believe certain things are the norm. Yes there will be students who do it, but plenty who don't. I don't think its anyone's business but the people involved in the arrangement and agreement. Outrage tends to be very selective, I find. I can understand non-agreement with prostitution but not this sudden "wow" based on a news story because students are doing it. They're adults not a different breed and this sugar daddy thing has been around for donkey's years in one form or another. How many times do we see old men with young women on tv for example, actually you can notice when youre out and about sometimes. It does seem as if its more acceptable in some quarters than others. Supply and demand I suppose, just one of the depressing aspects of life that will likely never go away

People still die on building sites, but far fewer these days, thanks to the health and safety regs that the trades union movement fought for.

Babycham - I know women who are in brothels in New Zealand. You do not know what you are talking about.

I really don't like the term devaluing either.

Since sex will always be linked to the notion of romantic love, I don't think that exchanging it for money instead will ever escape the "seedy" label, legalisation or not.

I am all for legalising it - and then stop pretending there is something different about letting an older man buy you just because he has money. Call it what it is - paying university fees by prostitution.

No prostitution has not always existed. That is a lie we are fed. We can have a society without prostitution.

Whys that, cleaty? I know people that work on building sites, and it's not all beer and skittles. So?

You are talking about 2 different things cleaty There are lots of things society can get along quite well without. But that doesn't change the fact they're still here.

I'd of totally done it if I was when at uni. I wouldn't of gone with lots of them I'd of used it as a dating site almost till I found someone I liked and fancied. I don't see a problem with it when adults are consenting happily to an arrangement they agree on.

And we can try our best to get rid of prostitution, not encourage or support it, or just shrug our shoulders.

Babycham - I have heard about the reality of working in a brothel in New Zealand from women currently doing it. I wouldn't want any daughter of mine anywhere near that.

Cleaty, that's just hurrying your head in the sand and hoping it'll go away. It won't. Social conservatives have tried that approach (and failed) for the last couple of millennia.

Burying*

There are measures that have worked to reduce prostitution. We can't get rid of it totally while we have inequality between women and men, but we can work to make it rare.

I'm sure I read a few years back that many students were working in strip clubs to pay for university, I don't know if this is better or worse.

why is it shocking* *
*
because it sets equality back a few decades at least
because these are meant to be intelligent women who are furthering their education and surely surely ought to think of the bigger picture, for themselves as well as society/women in general
because its so exploitative and mysogynistic
because since when was prostitution an ok thing to do if you're a bit broke*

I feel like I'm living in a parallel universe at times. And a shallow and superficial one at that

So it's less shocking if the women aren't intelligent?

I am not shocked that students do it. I am no more shocked that a student is an escort or prostitute, than I would be if it was someone else.

The fact that they are students doesn't add or take away from it.

The fact they 'are meant to be intelligent' and still do it, doesn't shock me.

If it is with one man at a time, and the woman has a choice (unlike street/brothel prostitution) - what is the difference between this and a non-working partner?

It is a sign that our society is becoming ever more unequal. Many women were poor when I was at university, but I didn't know anyone who did anything like this. And I did know someone who had been prostituted before coming to university.

Precisely, Katenka; it's pure snobbery to assume that only 'unintelligent' women may sell sex, and it's deeply ideological to refuse to accept that intelligent, informed women can do so out of choice and - shock horror! - might even enjoy it!!

No prostitution has not always existed. That is a lie we are fed. We can have a society without prostitution.

of course we can have a society without prostitution.

However prostitution has been around forever. There were many in ancient Egypt and Greece.