Over the last thirty years the internet has grown exponentially. We have faster connection speeds and can spend far more time online compared to the slow speeds of dial-up networks in the late 1990s.

 

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us stuck at home and using the internet for audio and video streaming of movies and television shows, listening to music and even watching live performers of a more discreet nature. There are currently no plays, no live gigs, no poetry readings and no audiences of any kind.

 

With many of us being forced to work from home, we are having to use different ways to grow our fanbases and to keep making money. There are people all over the world of all ages and races working as actors, actresses, authors, directors, musicians, poets, politicians, webcam models, writers and many more professions.

 

One of the ways that actresses keep in contact with their fans is through an app. There is one Indian actress who is also a model who she launched her app last year. It is a free application, but you purchase what are called coins with five hundred coins costing about ten pounds. These are then used to communicate with her directly through a message system. She also does live shows sometimes where you can send stickers to her with compliments or make request for her to wear certain items of clothing. These stickers cost coins too with some stickers costing three hundred coins.

 

Musicians have had to spend more time at home writing songs and recording but they also have used social media such as Facebook and Twitter to keep their fans not only updated but entertained.

 

One band even held a weekend event through YouTube where they would have viewing of some of their older recorded shows. This not only gave the fans an opportunity to interact with each-other but also were able to donate money for the crew who were not able to work due to live music restrictions.

 

There have been singers who have done live Q&A sessions on Facebook and these have been extremely popular. There are also some musicians who prefer to just hang out and chat with a few fans. We can make comments and ask them questions and they would share their own opinions and wisdom with us. One musician called it an online party.

 

There are also many celebrities, politicians and musicians using Twitter. Sometimes it can become a bit of an echo chamber but there are like-minded people in there who share your same views. There is also a listening party where a band member will listen to the album with you and give you a background about the songs.

 

Webcam models are at the more closely guarded and discreet side of the internet and social media and are people who spend time showing off their bodies for money. This is not as much as a social taboo as most people think. These are hardworking people who want to support their families and pay their bills.

 

I interviewed a Mexican lady in her mid-forties who had been doing this for about eighteen months. She told me that some of the things of this job she likes apart from the money, is that she receives compliments very often, can set her own hours, can be her own boss and she can work from home. She also said that it has been a long time since she blocked someone, which means most of her visitors are regular and respectful men with human needs that she can help to satisfy. She does not think these sorts of sites are addictive but that she is there if you need her. She also advises anyone wanting to do the job is to not to take things personal and just be yourself and not to feel obliged to do something you don´t want to do.

 

Another lady from Colombia of a similar age had only recently started and about two weeks ago when I interviewed her. She told me that it is a fun way to see people from all over the world and to make money without so much effort. She likes to talk with friendly people. People who have a good topic of conversation even if it is not private. She also advises people to try webcam modelling as each story is unique and you only know when you try something new.

 

A few people including these two ladies choose to remain fully clothed until you enter a private pay-per-minute show with them, but some people are topless all the time. These websites are not cheap and can become quite addictive but if you can afford it then use them. The people are friendly and supportive.

 

If you are paying somebody to contact you and vice versa, you are not their friend but only a fan. It is easy to become obsessed with somebody just because they said hello to you, but this is not the right thing to do. It is a great feeling to get a like, a follow or a reply from a famous person. It gives you a hit of dopamine that may only be temporary but also feels nice.  What is most important is the friendships that can develop between the performer and the fan if you are able to contact them by private messaging and they take the time to respond to you. This is not something that happens very often, but it is a special when it does happen.