I Was A Cam Girl In The Pandemic & Now I Have Higher Standards With Men

The first date I went on after I retired as a webcam model was the earliest sign for me that the work had changed my dating standards for the better. During the date, the guy (who was handsome) was honest with me that he just wanted sex. We hadn’t spoken much prior to the date but I knew I wanted more, thanks to the newfound sense of worth that webcam work had given me. For the first time ever, I didn’t change my mind after a few drinks for the sake of one night of validation. 

Before becoming a webcam model at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, I was intimate with most men I met after a few drinks (providing I was attracted to them). I was convinced it would make them want a relationship with me, even when that was unlikely to be on the cards. In some instances, I used sex as a form of self-harm to get over heartbreak or my own insecurities.

In truth, I would let people get away with a lot of bad behavior towards me — even those who were just friends — because I didn’t have the confidence to assert my boundaries...