Virtual Intimacy, Behavioral Engagement, and Sexuality (VIBES)
Research Team

Technology has transformed the way people pursue intimacy, connection, and well-being. But digital interactions are shaped by more than just access and opportunity—they’re influenced by social norms, personal motivations, and platform features.

The Kinsey Institute’s Virtual Intimacy, Behavioral Engagement, and Sexuality (VIBES) Research Team fills a critical gap in research by examining how people use technology for romantic, sexual, and emotional engagement. From camsites to AI-driven companionship, online dating, sextech, and social media, our work explores the evolving intersections of technology and human intimacy.

The VIBES team

VIBES is an internationally recognized, multidisciplinary team formed in 2019. We advance the understanding of intimacy, relationships, and well-being through our research on how people use technology in their romantic, sexual, and emotional lives.

The VIBES research team includes four core faculty:

  • Dr. Amanda Gesselman — Anita Aldrich Endowed Research Scientist at the Kinsey Institute and Adjunct Associate Professor in IU’s School of Nursing, with a PhD in Social Psychology.

  • Dr. Maggie Bennett-Brown — Assistant Professor in Communication Studies at Texas Tech University and a Research Fellow at the Kinsey Institute, with a PhD in Communication.

  • Dr. Jessica T. Campbell — Assistant Research Scientist at IU’s Center for Evaluation, Policy, and Research and a Research Fellow at the Kinsey Institute, with a PhD in Social Psychology.  

  • Dr. Ellen M. Kaufman — Senior Research Associate at the Kinsey Institute, with a PhD in Informatics. 

As well as two brilliant trainees:

  • Melissa Blundell Osorio — Currently pursuing a dual PhD in Informatics and Gender Studies/Human Sexuality at Indiana University, and a Research Assistant at the Kinsey Institute. 

  • Camden Smith — Recently awarded a PhD in Communication from Texas Tech University.

Research highlights

  • In 2019, VIBES conducted a large study of to understand how many American adults were using various forms of sextech, including camsites, teledildonics, and AI chatbots. See our infographic for results on prevalence. We found that younger adults, people with higher annual incomes, people who are LGBTQ+, and people who were more religious were more likely to use sextech. This shows that diverse populations are increasingly exploring technologically-facilitated intimacy, signaling a shift in sexual behavior and cultural norms.

  • In a pre-pandemic national survey of 8,000 U.S. adults, VIBES researchers found that people experiencing higher levels of anxiety or depression were more likely to use emerging forms of sextech (e.g., camsites, teledildonics). These findings provided critical insights into how digital sexual engagement may act as a self-soothing tool during times of psychological distress. 

  • In a study of camsite users, VIBES researchers found that erotic camsites may serve as informal platforms for education on sexual consent. 12% of camsite users learned something new about sexual consent from spending time on camsites. Users described learning how to more clearly communicate about consent, how to set boundaries, and how consent can change depending on the situation. These findings show sextech’s potential to influence sexual behavior and promote sex education outcomes outside of formal systems. 

  • In another study, VIBES researchers asked over 2,000 camsite users if the experience helped them improve their communication skills. Participants reported increases in their interpersonal communication abilities as a result of their camsite use, particularly those who felt that their interactions with cam models were highly emotionally or sexually fulfilling. This study shows that digital sexual interactions can foster skills that are transferable to offline social and/or romantic contexts.

Recent publications by members of the VIBES team

*If you can’t access any of the papers below, email us at vibes@iu.edu for a copy.

  • Bennett-Brown, M., Gesselman, A. N., Blundell Osorio, M., Kaufman, E. M., & Campbell, J. T. (2025). Understanding stigmatization in digital sex work: Perceptions of camsite users. Computers in Human Behavior, 171, 108719. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2025.108719

  • Gesselman, A.N., Kaufman, E.M., Campbell, J.T., Bennett-Brown, M., Blundell Osorio, M., Smith, C.R., Piazza, M., & Moscovici, Z. (2025). The influence of erotic camsites on men’s body comfort: A qualitative analysis of mechanisms. PLOS One. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0318727

  • Tan, R. K. J., Hensel, D., Ivanova, O., Bravo, R. G., Olumide, A., Adebayo, E., Cleeve, A., Gesselman, A., Shah, S. J., Adesoba, H., Marley, G., & Tang, W. (2025). Telemedicine Use During the COVID-19 Pandemic in 8 Countries From the International Sexual Health and Reproductive Health Consortium: Web-Based Cross-Sectional Survey Study. Journal of medical Internet research, 27, e60369. https://doi.org/10.2196/60369

  • Bennett-Brown, M., Kaufman, E.M., Marcotte, A.S., & Gesselman, A.N (2024). Cam site clients’ perceptions of changes to their communication skills: Associations with psychological need fulfillment. Sexuality & Culture. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-023-10121-y

  • Dubé, S., Gesselman, A. N., Kaufman, E. M., Bennett-Brown, M., Ta-Johnson, V. P., & Garcia, J. R. (2024). Beyond words: Relationships between emoji use, attachment style, and emotional intelligence. PLOS One, 19(12), e0308880. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0308880

  • Gesselman, A.N., Kaufman, E.M., Bennett-Brown, M., & Campbell, J.T. (2024). Camsites as a context for sexual consent education: User experiences. Journal of Sex Research. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2024.2369662

  • Kaufman, E.M., Gesselman, A.N., & Bennett-Brown, M. (2024). Clients’ perceptions of authentic intimate connection on erotic webcam modeling sites. Journal of Sex Research. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2024.2389211

  • Gesselman, A. N., Kaufman, E. M., Marcotte, A. S., Reynolds, T. A., & Garcia, J. R. (2023). Engagement with emerging forms of sextech: demographic correlates from a national sample of adults in the United States. Journal of Sex Research, 60, 177-189. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2021.2007521

  • Adams, O., Shindle, K., Gesselman, A. N., & Campbell, J. (2022). Attitudes towards transgender people among cisgender women who use vaginismus and PCOS-related online forums. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 19, S20-S21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsxm.2022.05.045

  • Marcotte, A.S., Kaufman, E.M., Campbell, J.T., Reynolds, T.A., Garcia, J.R., & Gesselman, A.N. (2021). Sextech use as a potential mental health reprieve: The role of anxiety, depression, and loneliness in seeking sex online. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18, 8924. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18178924

  • Marcotte, A. S., Gesselman, A. N., Fisher, H. E., & Garcia, J. R. (2021). Women’s and men’s reactions to receiving unsolicited genital images from men. Journal of Sex Research, 58, 512-521. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2020.1779171

  • Marcotte, A. S., Gesselman, A. N., Reynolds, T. A., & Garcia, J. R. (2021). Young adults’ social media investment behaviors around the beginning and end of their romantic relationships. Personal Relationships, 28, 822-839. https://doi.org/10.1111/pere.12390

  • Gesselman, A. N., Druet, A., & Vitzthum, V. J. (2020). Mobile sex-tech apps: How use differs across global areas of high and low gender equality. PLOS ONE, 15, e0238501. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0238501

Industry partners we’ve worked with

Contact us

Want to collaborate with us, or need expert insight for a media story? Email us at vibes@iu.edu or fill out the form to contact us.