We are entering the golden age of sex.

And no, it’s not because of “50 Shades of Grey.” It’s because of the increasing options and capabilities of sex toys and the decreasing taboo in using them.

If sex toys were smartphones, flip phone dildos are a thing of the past. Sure, sex toys of the past were able to get the job done — just like how phones could make a call. But now, “smart” sex toys go above and beyond just making a call. Sex toys today can vibrate in sync with music, come in a variety of different shapes and sizes and have remote control capabilities — ideal for those in long-distance relationships.

Wired — a magazine that covers all things technology — recently posted an article about two revolutionary sex toys, plus 14 of the top-selling dildos. In its Feb. 12 article, Wired  features the Hello Touch X and the Eva, sex toys that have different capabilities and offer an alternative to the classic dildo.

The Hello Touch X is a vibrating extension of your fingertips, so if your fetish is to be some sort of sex cyborg, you’re in luck. The Hello Touch X puts two vibrating pads on the user’s fingertips, meant to make clitoral — or technically any body part — stimulation easier and more intense. And it comes with a rechargeable battery, which makes sense because it’s 2015.

The other “revolutionary toy” featured in Wired is a vibrator for the clitoris. The Eva has been engineered in order to sit directly on the clitoris without needing to be held there. If we’re still going with the phone metaphor, I guess this hands-free vibrator is the Bluetooth device of sex toys.

Obviously, sex toys that focus on improving a woman’s sexual experience are fantastic. But perhaps one of the biggest benefits of technological leaps in sex toys is what it can bring to long-distance relationships.

Lovense, for example, is a sex toy that’s controlled by a smartphone app and works for partners in two different locations. According to the product’s website , it allows users with Internet access to have virtual reality sex, with a guy and girl version of the toy that they can control in sync.

And not technically a sex toy — but still a major advancement in sex technology — is virtual reality porn, which has recently made headlines. Complex  posted an article in which it introduced members of its staff to virtual reality porn and filmed their reactions. With the Samsung Gear VR, staff members experienced an immersive experience intended to trick users into thinking they are in an actual porno. Though the technology isn’t exactly new, it could eventually become a mainstream way to experience porn or imitate sexual experiences for those in long-distance relationships.

What a time to be alive.

The one downside to tech advances in sex: if sex toys make it easier to orgasm, what if it gets to the point where people can only get off with a little help from a (vibrating) friend?

The improvements in sex toys, vibrators and dildos are awesome for potentially increasing orgasms and experimentation between partners. But with all the new features, we need to be cautious we don’t start relying on just sex toys to get us off, or let a vibrating fingertip extension do all the work.

I’m all for a future where sex toys improve long-distance and do a bunch of cool things. But let’s make sure something electronic doesn’t become the only thing capable of giving orgasms.

Kate Beckman is a sophomore magazine journalism major. Her column appears every week in Pulp. You can reach her at kebeckma@syr.edu or follow her on Twitter at @Kate_Beckman.

Published on February 18, 2015 at 12:01 am