I. Emotional Attachment behind the Dolls
In the complex web of interpersonal relationships in modern society, there is a group of men who have come into the public eye because of sex dolls. Relevant interviews by VICE have revealed an unexpected phenomenon: Many men who own sex dolls have purposes that go far beyond mere sexual needs. For example, in a survey of a certain number of men who own sex dolls, it was found that quite a few of them had difficulties in building satisfactory emotional connections in real life due to social anxiety and other issues. Take Mark, a 45-year-old man, for instance. He has been introverted since childhood and always felt stressed in social situations after growing up. The long-term sense of loneliness drove him to choose cheap sex dolls as his emotional companions. Every day after work when he got home, he would share the trifles at work with the dolls as if they were his close friends. In his eyes, these dolls had become an indispensable part of his life, giving him a feeling of being understood and accepted, even though they had no life or consciousness.
Interestingly, the designs of some sex dolls are inspired by the figures in ancient myths and legends. The details of their shapes and costumes are full of mysterious classical charm, which also provides a unique emotional imaginative space for some men, as if they have established a connection with the roles in history and fantasies.
II. Diverse Companionship and Self-perception
These men have built extremely unique relationship patterns with sex dolls. Some men regard their sex dolls as “adult daughters”, thus creating a special family atmosphere. For example, David, a 50-year-old man, after going through the heavy blow of divorce, found solace in his two sex dolls. He carefully decorated rooms for them and bought beautiful clothes for them. In his “interactions” with them, David regained the feeling of home, and this emotional connection gave him a special spiritual support when facing difficulties in life. There are also men who clearly know that the dolls are not real humans but still derive great psychological satisfaction and happiness from them, as if the dolls were the partners waiting for them to come home every day.
It’s worth mentioning that some sex dolls are equipped with simple voice interaction functions and can respond to some basic greetings and conversations according to preset programs, which makes men feel more real when communicating with the dolls, as if they can understand their inner thoughts. Moreover, the joints of some high-end sex dolls are extremely flexible and can be posed in various complicated postures. To some extent, this meets the needs of some men for artistic creation or photography hobbies. They will match different scenes and props for the dolls and take creative photos.
III. Diversified Presentation in the Sex Doll Market
The development of sex dolls themselves also shows a diversified trend. Take hydoll.net as an example. It offers a wide variety of sex doll products. In terms of appearance, there are different facial features, either sweet and lovely or mature and charming; in terms of height, it covers a wide range from petite to tall and sexy; and the body types are also diverse, meeting various aesthetic demands. The main materials used are silicone and thermoplastic elastomer (TPE). In terms of the price system, there are obvious differences. For example, the basic TPE material dolls have relatively lower prices because of the relatively low material costs and simpler manufacturing processes. On some e-commerce platforms, an ordinary TPE doll may only cost a few hundred yuan. While the silicone material dolls, due to the high-quality characteristics of silicone itself and more complicated manufacturing processes, usually have higher prices. Some high-end silicone dolls can even cost thousands of yuan or more, especially those with advanced functional configurations such as hair implantation, special body textures and movable joints.
In addition, in the manufacturing process of sex dolls, some manufacturers have adopted advanced 3D scanning technology, which can accurately replicate the curves and contours of the human body, making the body proportions of the dolls more realistic. Also, in the treatment of the skin texture of the dolls, some special coating technologies are used to make the touch feel closer to that of real human skin, giving a strong visual and tactile impact.
IV. The Vortex of Controversy and Reflection
However, the existence of anime sex dolls is by no means without controversy. In the field of psychology, experts hold different views. Some psychologists believe that if the emotional relationship with the dolls can enable men to obtain inner peace and satisfaction and does not cause harm to others, then it should not be forcibly interfered with. On the contrary, many experts have also raised serious concerns. Staying with sex dolls for a long time may gradually make men lose their acute perception of others’ feelings in real interpersonal communication. From a social perspective, there is a view that this may subtly affect men’s attitudes towards women. Although there is currently no conclusive research data to prove that there is an inevitable connection between the use of sex dolls and the increase in the sex crime rate, this potential risk still looms over public opinion like a cloud. Meanwhile, whether there is a certain hidden connection between sex dolls and psychopaths has also become one of the focuses of controversy. Its impact on traditional social concepts and gender role perceptions has triggered extensive and profound thinking, prompting people to re-examine the delicate balance among emotions, morality and social norms.
