What's the one aspect of camming that you like the least?

[Ryan_DCS]

Maybe you have a few things that you dislike about it..
If it was just one thing you didn't have to deal with anymore in camming, what's that one thing for you?

 

[TacoBelle]

• The inconsistency in income. Can't plan for the future. Slow weeks make you think that you'll have to quit.
• Losing friends easily. People who quit camsites usually do it for reasons that makes them need to quit cold turkey, and that sucks when you are actually friends with them.
• People think it's such an easy job and complain when a model says that she's 'not in a good enough mood' to cam. But if we log on when we are sad/grumpy/sick/etc, people complain or leave, only causing us more damage than not logging in at all.
• Jealousy from significant others and friends.
• If you're sensitive, the trolls and nasty comments will take their toll on you.
• Difficult to meet new friends/significant others because you have to either A) thrust the info that you're a camgirl on them in hopes that they'll be cool with it and keep the info secret/safe, or B) lie to them about your job until you trust them enough to know the aforementioned. Both situations suck.
• For some models, it makes them start to despise the male gender. Completely. Totally. Because for them, a few (many) bad apples can spoil the bunch.
• It can be conducive to social anxiety, depression, health deterioration, extreme weight gain/loss, and agoraphobia because we tend to stay at home more often.
• Ruins any chance at working with children or in a school.
• Ruins any chance at being a high-profile person (politician, etc).
• Alienates you from others because most people aren't comfortable or willing to talk about sexwork.

 

[Worship Jaclyn]

I agree with the above. If I could narrow it down I would say how complicated it makes my life as a parent. On one hand, everyone in my life knows about my job and for me personally it's important that I'm honest and open. On the other hand, me being out is going to limit the friendships my daughter can have. Other parents aren't going to want their kids coming over or even being friends with her at all. So that's probably the biggest struggle I have with it. But that's more with my decision to be honest about my job and less about the job itself.

Second, I would have to say the inconsistency in income. Not just that you're going to make a different amount every week and every month but that you also have no idea how much time you have. At what age do I start transitioning away from what I'm doing and re market myself as a MILF? If I do that, will I be completely starting from scratch? Will I even succeed? Will there still be good and dependable sites where mature women are in demand? I don't agree when people say that you can't be in sex work forever. I think you can but the rate at which you have to evolve is insane. No job is a guarantee but if this job doesn't work out I have zero to put on a resume to try out something else.

 

[Picnic]

The stigma attached to camming.

 

[LittleLei]

Dealing with disrespect and rudeness almost on a daily basis on multiple occasions. From vulgar insults, insinuation that the sex industry isn't a "real" job or career to members/customers who feel that they are owed an explanation for the way each girl operates her room, awful member interactions has been the only thing (so far) that has made me log off and cry. There are plenty of times that we feel dehumanized from others because we choose to have sex work as a source of income, key word, choose, and there are A LOT of people that think we have defaulted to this line of work and are unhappy. The high risk of potential private life harm such as stalking and blackmail. People can be malicious quick and sometimes I feel like I intentionally do what's necessary just to be on the good side.

I guess more so, my least favorite is handling situations that deal mainly with difficult members/customers/people. Having an inconsistent income is a close second. Not knowing how long it'll take to achieve a goal or being able to achieve it at that.

Oh, and people thinking it's the easiest job in the world. I feel like sometimes my friends think it's way more easier than the job they have because I get to be at the comfort of my home, wear whatever I want and when I turn on my camera $$ fills up my account without breaking a sweat.

 

[Applecup]

I agree with every last word that's been posted here.

I think what bothers me the me the most is the stigma associated with modelling. I really want to work in social work/education, but I feel as though I'd live my life on edge, constantly wondering if someone would "out" me and make my life or career a living hell- like the teachers assistant who got fired for being a lingerie model. I don't get it. It's in demand. It's my body. It's not as though I'd be prancing around my classroom en costume because I'm an adult who can separate my personal and professional.

 

[Miss_Lollipop]

-Isolation from friends and family. Its not socially apropriate to talk about my job, and its very isolating.
-being self employed means no paid vacations, sick leave etc etc.
-The need to be physically and mentally 'up beat' whenever I'm on cam. I miss being able to go to a job like motel cleaning, or animal shelter work etc.. and just be in a pretty black mood and still get paid. Obviously I have to pull it together to be civil to co workers etc, but I didn't feel the pressure to be friendly/outgoing all the time.

 

[AmberCutie]

I hope you realized when you asked for "one" that you're gonna get a bunch of different points dumped on you.

All of these, for me:

The inconsistency in income. Slow weeks make you think that you'll have to quit.

The depression that comes from slow times eats at me, it's a terrible feeling of failure. The good shifts are uplifting, but the bad shifts are demoralizing.

People think it's such an easy job and complain when a model says that she's 'not in a good enough mood' to cam. But if we log on when we are sad/grumpy/sick/etc, people complain or leave, only causing us more damage than not logging in at all.

The internal struggle I have when I'm not in a good enough mood/emotional state to cam... ugh.

It can be conducive to social anxiety, depression, health deterioration, extreme weight gain/loss, and agoraphobia because we tend to stay at home more often.

I think my agoraphobia and anxiety has gotten much much worse since I started camming.

Isolation from friends and family.

I completely avoid talking to many members of my family and a couple old friends because I don't want to tell them about my job. Not because I'm ashamed, but because I don't want them to gossip and more people to know. For safety.

being self employed means no paid vacations, sick leave etc etc.

When I take sick days, I can't fully relax and rest because I know the missed opportunity of every hour I miss of my usual cam time.

The need to be physically and mentally 'up beat' whenever I'm on cam.

Sometimes you just want to punch your time card, silently carry on with your duties, then punch out for the day. As Lacey said, so many other jobs you only have to be civil, not a ray of sunshine.

 

[Gen]

The secrecy, both with my real-life friends/family and my members. I hate not being able to share exciting news from my real life with my cam friends. I'd love to be able to talk about my school classes, my research, the awesome place I volunteer, etc openly with my members because so many are interested & supportive of all that, but it's too specific. For me, the worst part of camming is fracturing yourself into two people and making sure they don't meet. (I know this is different for other girls, but this is how it is for me.)

Second is just dealing with trolls & people who are intentionally hurtful, on a much larger scale than I ever did before camming. It depresses me that with the whole internet at their disposal, a lot of people still take the time to come into my chat and say "man the harpoons!!!!". (Also dudes who troll fat chicks are about as creative as you'd expect. Sometimes the fact that they also seem to be dumb as rocks makes me feel a little better but also sad.) it doesn't bother me on a personal level that sukkmydiq69 insulted me, there is no deep personal sadness that comes from an anon insult, but it makes me sad that it's a common, expected part of camming.

 

[ThePrincessLuxy]

Living the double life and dragging your so to live the double life as well. Keeping the Web of lies spun is exhausting.

 

[KylieJacobs]

The secrecy, both with my real-life friends/family and my members. I hate not being able to share exciting news from my real life with my cam friends. I'd love to be able to talk about my school classes, my research, the awesome place I volunteer, etc openly with my members because so many are interested & supportive of all that, but it's too specific. For me, the worst part of camming is fracturing yourself into two people and making sure they don't meet. (I know this is different for other girls, but this is how it is for me.)

This is probably the biggest one for me.

I'm naturally an open person, and it drives me crazy to try to keep my work life and my personal life completely separate. I want to be able to tell my friends and family exactly what I do for a living, but at the same time, if I did, and the wrong people found out, it could affect my kids in school.

 

[Who]

I follow Amber on twitter, I know nothing about the cam industry. I suppose if i read a few threads it might answer questions I have like, do you pay MFC a fee or percentage?, How many girls have other jobs to pay the rent?

 

[AmberCutie]

I follow Amber on twitter, I know nothing about the cam industry. I suppose if i read a few threads it might answer questions I have like, do you pay MFC a fee or percentage?, How many girls have other jobs to pay the rent?

Yep, definitely read around, and of course we all encourage you to actually become a member on a cam site for the real experience and fun.

 

[Who]

Amber I've been an admirer of you on twitter for several years, I knew Violet before she started doing cam work and Katie Owens is another favorite. I just never have the time, but maybe someday

 

[ThePrincessLuxy]

Living the double life and dragging your so to live the double life as well. Keeping the Web of lies spun is exhausting.

I must add a correction- this being not just SO, but anyone that is close to you. I feel like anyone I tell I am forcing them to bare this burden with me, which seems unfair to them because they didn't ask for it in the first place. It's cool feeling like a sexy superhero and all, but at what cost? I feel like living a double life is both a blessing and a curse.

 

[Who]

I keep reading threads that say I'm new to camming etc., but how does one choose this profession. Is MFC on Career Builder, Monster.com?

 

[Miss_D]

I dont cam anymore but for me it was all the above but also the need/feeling that I HAD to look a certain way to make good money....it can weigh heavy on you regardless of the niche you fall into. Ex: BBW loosing weight, athletic girls gaining weight, blondes going brown, IBTC getting implants...etc. Once the clientele becomes accustomed to you looking a certain way.... if you deviate -even a little- It can cause ripple effects....

 

[Magnolia]

1. The long hours. Camming, for me, is a lifestyle instead of just a job. Camming never ends, even when my broadcasts end.
2. Stalkers/safety/all your personal information available to crazy people. Death threats are not an uncommon thing for camgirls.

 

[Violet Dawn]

So much. Lying to family members. Members thinking you're some raging slut ready to fuck 24/7. (I don't like using that word, but that's essentially what it is) Members not listening to you and flat out disregarding your feelings. Hearing people think people like you should die and be tortured. People in real life think you bring the hatred and death threats upon yourself for doing this job. Members thinking it's legitimately ok to come up to you in public and if you complain you're "stupid and should have not sucked dick on the internet if you didn't want that behavior." I like what @I_Am_Iris said about changing your views on men. Because you wonder if these are just the sick outcasts of society or if they could be men like your professor, your brother, your male friend, or even your dad. You wonder if guys around you are doing this stuff to women. It really brings out people's true colors.

 

[BobbyB]

So much. Lying to family members. Members thinking you're some raging slut ready to fuck 24/7. (I don't like using that word, but that's essentially what it is) Members not listening to you and flat out disregarding your feelings. Hearing people think people like you should die and be tortured. People in real life think you bring the hatred and death threats upon yourself for doing this job. Members thinking it's legitimately ok to come up to you in public and if you complain you're "stupid and should have not sucked dick on the internet if you didn't want that behavior." I like what @I_Am_Iris said about changing your views on men. Because you wonder if these are just the sick outcasts of society or if they could be men like your professor, your brother, your male friend, or even your dad. You wonder if guys around you are doing this stuff to women. It really brings out people's true colors.

I think there are 2 problems here:
1) You have nearly no control who will enter your room and with the hope to make some tokens you will likely ban people rather later than earlier. In real life mostly you see the people you are interacting with and that can help also to avoid the nutcases.

2) The anonymity of the camsites : guys can really push the limits and feel secure that there are no repercussions for them apart from the occasional ban.

I know from a model perspective you would like to have a generous tipper with excellent manners, but realistly these are in the minority, you will need some luck to catch one of them....

Camming is a job and if it affects your real life maybe the other option is to look for other jobs to make money.
Other jobs with similar problems are, police officer when dealing with all kinds of criminals each day, soldier when being involved in actually killing people, social services when dealing with all kinds of abuse .....

Or an a more positive note make a list of jobs you consider far worse than camming and be happy that you don't work in them...

 

[subgavin]

Some interesting answers / points here. Most of them are things that I might have guessed at, on some level, but there's some that wouldn't have occurred to me.

I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have been able to hack it (even in some bizarre alternate universe in which I might have had the option).

 

[yummybrownfox]

Is MFC on Career Builder, Monster.com?

If you see a popular site like MFC advertising on those places, it's most likely an MFC studio (not MFC directly) trying to get models to sign up with their referral link (so that the studio agent is making money off the model and getting a cut of the pay), which means you should run the other way and just go to the actual MyFreeCams site to sign up directly. Years ago SexyJobs had tons of these cam site signup links, and every single one of them were studios. MyFreeCams is not gonna spend their time on SexyJobs or Craigslist trying to recruit models.

Years ago I wound up joining a MyFreeCams studio, a Streamate studio (called InternetModeling), AND a Webcams studio years ago, and they were probably all from ads on SexyJobs. Lol.

 

[Badj3u]

• The inconsistency in income. Can't plan for the future. Slow weeks make you think that you'll have to quit.
• Losing friends easily. People who quit camsites usually do it for reasons that makes them need to quit cold turkey, and that sucks when you are actually friends with them.
• People think it's such an easy job and complain when a model says that she's 'not in a good enough mood' to cam. But if we log on when we are sad/grumpy/sick/etc, people complain or leave, only causing us more damage than not logging in at all.
• Jealousy from significant others and friends.
• If you're sensitive, the trolls and nasty comments will take their toll on you.
• Difficult to meet new friends/significant others because you have to either A) thrust the info that you're a camgirl on them in hopes that they'll be cool with it and keep the info secret/safe, or B) lie to them about your job until you trust them enough to know the aforementioned. Both situations suck.
• For some models, it makes them start to despise the male gender. Completely. Totally. Because for them, a few (many) bad apples can spoil the bunch.
• It can be conducive to social anxiety, depression, health deterioration, extreme weight gain/loss, and agoraphobia because we tend to stay at home more often.
• Ruins any chance at working with children or in a school.
• Ruins any chance at being a high-profile person (politician, etc).
• Alienates you from others because most people aren't comfortable or willing to talk about sexwork.

i agree with most of it except the "Children part" because i actually work with kids right now, as a tutor, if you see me at that job you will be surprise i'm a completely a different person. the way i see it is adult content is adult content kids content are kids content NEVER mix those two up, they are two different world, when i'm with the kids i block out anything adult related and think like a kid that "pure humble goofy personality' when i'm online i bring out my freakishness. My job will never ask me questions about what i do on my personal time outside of the work place "no way" Never as long as i don't bring my personal life in the work place i'm fine.

 

[yummybrownfox]

i agree with most of it except the "Children part" because i actually work with kids right now, as a tutor, if you see me at that job you will be surprise i'm a completely a different person. the way i see it is adult content is adult content kids content are kids content NEVER mix those two up, they are two different world, when i'm with the kids i block out anything adult related and think like a kid that "pure humble goofy personality' when i'm online i bring out my freakishness. My job will never ask me questions about what i do on my personal time outside of the work place "no way" Never as long as i don't bring my personal life in the work place i'm fine.

Yeah, I was working with kids too in 2014 but left this particular employer this past Christmas Eve. And back in around 2006 - 2009 (or 2010) I was working with kids as well.

 

[Ann_Sulu]

@Badj3u @Songbird_Shelly While I agree that there's no reason to bring up camming at a job like that, I believe what @I_Am_Iris meant was that a camgirl could easily lose the job where she worked with children if say her employer found her online.

Edit: Just adding my own thoughts on what's the one worst aspect. It's been said, but the stigma is pretty much the only actual problem. Unless I've missed something, everything else seems to be related to the stigma. Heck even with payments. I mean just trying to find a good payment processor that allows sex work transactions outside of a camsite can be a nightmare.

 

[paige_orion]

1) The lying is exhausting. I have spent years building a career and building a business that I am so proud of. Endless hours of sweat and curses and tears - and the biggest flush of pride. I wish I could share this with everyone I know and care about - but alas, for my own safety and privacy, I keep it secret from most people I know. It is hard to keep silent on something that is sooooo much of your world. I want to share my triumphs and my failures, but I cannot and it creates an emotional distance between me and loved ones that is hard to breach.

2) For the longest time, my biggest dream was to be an author of young adult novels. It took me a while to accept the fact that being an adult worker means I probably wouldn't be accepted for publication in this genre. In the same vein, knowing that while I don't want to bear a child of my body, someday I am interested in adopting or fostering a child who might be needing a family. But no matter how much money I make or how good of a person I am, I doubt I would ever be approved to be a foster or adoptive parent, simply due to my job.

3) Not having many real-world friends anymore. I love my job, but it isn't unusual for me to spend 10-14 hours a day immersed in business related activities - filming, editing, social marketing, writing emails, etc. When I am done with my day, the last thing I want to do is pick up a phone and call loved ones or friends. I just want to grab a book and take a bath and just be alone in my own world. When I am not working, I don't have much energy to interact with other humans. Unfortunately, this means my friendships have suffered immensely, and I have lost the friendships of many amazing people because I don't have the emotional energy to keep them flourishing. If I had a a normal 40-per-week job, I doubt this would be the case.

4) Being seen as single-faceted by a lot of the world. I am a Domme SW - it is hard for others to also come to terms with the fact that I am a fierce lover and a writer and I have a passionate heart and I want to help the world and I see beauty everywhere. I have sad days and bad days and days of weakness, just as I have days when I am silly and strange and flushed with energetic joy and gratitude. I have a degree and I adore learning for the sake of learning and I have an MMORPG that I cannot get enough of and I adore cultural phenomena that most people would consider geeky and I am a voracious bookwork who adores fantasy novels. I am more than my job. I am a woman with many facets and many passions. Yet, on a small scale, I lose followers on most social media platforms whenever I deviate from the single-facet of pure Dommeness. On a larger scale.... Society will always demean my accomplishments and personhood and insisting that I am only my job. SWers pass away and their names are rarely mentioned in newspapers - they are always strippers or porn stars or prostitutes - as if we lose the right to our names and personhoods when we enter this job. I don't mean to sound so cynical, but this has been on my mind a lot lately in the wake of Amber Rayne's passing.

5) Being so very involved in fetishes and kinks... I have unfortunately come in contact with some of the worst specimens of humanity and it hurts my heart to see people find pleasure and joy in the pain and suffering and cruelty to others. I'm not talking about usual trolls or those who engage in consensual sadomasochism. I mean true darkness. I used to think that true evil was very, very rare. And I had been lucky enough to have never really encountered it until this job. And although it isn't a common experience, I have come face to face with people whom I believe are truly evil in every sense of the word. Luckily, this means that I appreciate the goodness in others even more, but it is still horrifying to realize how dark and twisted some people truly are.


Wow, upon rereading all of this, I am struck by how cynical and negative I sound. This job has several drawbacks (but doesn't every job?!), and I don't want to imply for a moment that it hasn't been worth it. I love this job. It has given me so many gifts, so much inspiration, so much joy. For every negative aspect, I have discovered a dozen positive ones. I wouldn't change my career for the world. I have become a part of a community of the most brilliant, and inspiring women who compose themselves with such grace and strength and inner beauty, and I am blessed to call them friends and coworkers. I have learned so much, pushed myself so much, have evolved and discovered many aspects about my own self through my adult work journey. In spite of the drawbacks, I feel very lucky and grateful to have a job that I love so much.

 

[Eva_Sunshine]

I think there are 2 problems here:
1) You have nearly no control who will enter your room and with the hope to make some tokens you will likely ban people rather later than earlier. In real life mostly you see the people you are interacting with and that can help also to avoid the nutcases.

2) The anonymity of the camsites : guys can really push the limits and feel secure that there are no repercussions for them apart from the occasional ban.

I know from a model perspective you would like to have a generous tipper with excellent manners, but realistly these are in the minority, you will need some luck to catch one of them....

Camming is a job and if it affects your real life maybe the other option is to look for other jobs to make money.
Other jobs with similar problems are, police officer when dealing with all kinds of criminals each day, soldier when being involved in actually killing people, social services when dealing with all kinds of abuse .....

Or an a more positive note make a list of jobs you consider far worse than camming and be happy that you don't work in them...

Not to derail the thread, but i wanted to explain my bad rating, Bobby. I feel like you kind of missed the point of this thread. I'd say ~just about~ everyone has grievances with their jobs, regardless of what it is. All jobs affect one's "real life" negatively and positively, so it seems kind of out of line to suggest Luna should find a different job just for echoing a valid grievance that a number of workers experience. I mean, even just working retail where you're regularly berated by customers, it would make sense for one to wonder how the people around them treat service workers. Have you ever been out with a friend/relative and they behave absolutely atrociously to a service worker out of nowhere? You don't just get to run through a list of someone's flaws upon meeting them, same with members. The men being cruel on cam sites *are* husbands, sons, coworkers, dads, bosses, friends of women, teachers, etc--real men existing in the real world with real lives. It's not exactly twisted to wonder if the men in your life could be doing the same.
I just feel like you're essentially saying, "Get over it, that's how guys are on the wild west that is the internet. Find a new job if you don't like it." And then you follow it up with, "On the bright side, look at how much worse you could have it!" It's really not very compassionate for this type of thread where workers are supposed to be expressing their greivances. :/

My top grievance is definitely the issue of living a double life. I'm a terrible liar, so my attempts to lie often flop or I freeze up and come out more rude and dismissive in an effort to distract the conversation. In an ideal world, I'd be out and proud, but safety is a big concern for me and too many people act strangely after finding out the truth.

 

[Moffle]

Just wanted to offer some hugs for a hard job and for all the times MFC has made me smile and feel good. For the record, we don't all judge or stalk or troll and we're not all weird as ****, sometimes just a little company and fun and fantasy is perfect.

[EDIT] That might just be us old blokes.

 

[SaffronBurke]

For some models, it makes them start to despise the male gender. Completely. Totally. Because for them, a few (many) bad apples can spoil the bunch.

This was especially the case when I started doing FemDom. I absolutely LOVE doing FemDom, but some of the customers you get can make you really start to dislike men. The good thing is that you can just channel that frustration into your work because it's part of the persona.

 

[Tomtom197]

Just wanted to offer some hugs for a hard job and for all the times MFC has made me smile and feel good. For the record, we don't all judge or stalk or troll and we're not all weird as ****, sometimes just a little company and fun and fantasy is perfect.

[EDIT] That might just be us old blokes.

I agree with moffle. The women that choose to do this career are some of bravest women. You catch so much flack and criticism. That if anyone else faced this in a normal workplace would sue there employers.