COVID-19 & the Rise of OnlyFans

OnlyFans is making its way into a home near you and opening doors for sex positivity and sex work for the world to see. Although OnlyFans has been around since 2016, it hit a spike with the onset of COVID-19. Some contribute the popularity of OnlyFans to the perfect storm of a global pandemic, decline in economy, increased stress levels, and social distancing. It’s so mainstream that Beyoncé even mentions having an OnlyFans page in Megan Thee Stallion’s remix of “Savage.” OnlyFans had a spike of 50% in April after the song released. It’s hard to tell which one had more power in the spike COVID-19, Beyoncé, or just some combination of many factors. (Hello, Bella Thorne?). So, what is OnlyFans? OnlyFans is a highly encrypted and private content-sharing platform. It allows users to make money and share many varieties of content, including porn, with content locked behind a paywall. The site has many securities preventing users from being able to copy and share materials. Access to content on the site, even for free content, cannot be accessed without creating a profile and having a credit card on file. It’s accessible and user friendly for all content creators, but it’s best known for adult and erotica content. It’s currently estimated at having 50 million users and over 700,000 creators. To gain access to the content, an individual must pay a monthly subscription fee that ranges, on average, between $4.99 and $49.99. The sex work industry has been hit hard by COVID-19. People in the porn industry, exotic dancers, and other forms of sex work have restricted access to work and other forms of financial relief such as Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and unemployment benefits. The PPP has specific guidelines denying any form of business that pertains to sex access to funds. OnlyFans has been a means to keep many individuals and businesses afloat, and some thriving, during economically difficult times. Not only has it had financial benefits, it increases safety and comfort for many users due to added security methods and the safety of creating content and connecting with consumers from one’s personal space. Customers can purchase subscriptions, pay to chat, request performances and content, and access many other pay-per-view features. Many people new to sex work are entering into the field as a result of the easy access, privacy, safety of being at home, and the access to a lot of money. The high visibility of a social media platform, combined with pornography, makes OnlyFans a platform for sex workers to potentially make millions. Customers can even tip performers and purchase items off of their Amazon gift list. Although there is a lot of allure in being a creator, there is also a lot of work. Creators spend hours creating content and marketing it on other social media platforms. Being a content creator is not for the faint of heart. Another downside is that OnlyFans takes a 20% cut from profits, creating a barrier for some creators to sustain a profit worthy of a long-term time investment. From a consumer point a view, there has been an increase in usage in OnlyFans because people can request specific kinks such as bondage, toy/vibrator play, feet play, furries, etc. Fans report that the draw to OnlyFans over free pornographic sites is that it’s personable and customers feel connected to their creators. There is also something satisfying about giving directly to the creator, which makes the content feel more ethical and collaborative. OnlyFans, in essence, gives consumers direct contact with their artists. This gives users a greater sense of connection during the pandemic in a way porn and other forms of media cannot. COVID-19 has created a space of restlessness, isolation, and financial strain for people around the world. OnlyFans has been the solution in helping the bored and lonely find means to connect, create, and profit in substantial ways. It’s the fastest growing content-sharing and profit-making site in the world and definitely worth checking out as a consumer or creator.