Surely, it was only Hollywood gays who broke into the adult entertainment world and made a fortune? But a webcamming opportunity fell into my lap, so to speak. Make money broadcasting live to other men , the advert for an adult webcam service said. I read through it with interest and thought of my dreaded supermarket job. Whilst my friends were busy planning nights out over our upcoming half term, I was facing a long train trip back to my rural hometown to pull double shifts and last-minute cover on the checkout.
But with webcamming, I could set my own schedule. I could even chat to men online whilst fully clothed and earn money per minute. A steal, almost. Throwing caution to the wind, I chose a username and signed up. I stumbled like a newly-walking Bambi through the deluge of requests from men on the chat box, which appeared next to a live video stream of me, as well as private messages to my profile.
Are you into scat [sexual activity involving feaces]. Customer service became a part of my new gig as I remembered to smile as the suggestions, mostly unpaid, came in. I logged on for four hours a night and over the first, month earned hundreds of pounds. Being a cam boy was like waiting tables with no hourly wage. Everyone could sit at the table, but you were only paid in tips. I persevered as it was a way to earn money whilst uni classes were on, so I could earn cash on top of my dreaded supermarket job in the holidays.
Sometimes, a couple of hours camming earned a fiver, whilst other sessions could yield hundreds of pounds from keen tippers and private one-to-one viewers. Tempting - but I refused, drawing a line at meeting in real life.
The circle of regular men who joined my digital shows grew and turned into a confessional of sorts for older, married men. I asked them about their day, and it became quickly clear that I was often a release of sorts for men in religious households - sexually frustrated Christians, Muslims, Sikhs, and more. I had gone into camming blind of the realities. In the webcamming world existed a grey zone; a less-sinister Dark Web, where a man from Dubai tipped you a fiver to listen to him talk about his ex-wife whilst watching you slap your ass cheeks.
