Sweet 16

More than fourteen years ago, I wrote about why I keep up this blog. At that point, I’d already been doing it for six years and saw plenty of people and companies come and go. I’d tried tons of toys, lingerie, and accessories. It seems fitting that I answer the question again on the 16th anniversary (!) of this blog.

So why do I do this? Why am I still here?

The answer isn’t, like it was then, about getting stuff to review. I rarely review things anymore. I just don’t need to try another sex toy, honestly. I have so many. I’ve tried so many more.

It’s not about rank or praise because those have long since disappeared. While the internet is more competitive than it once was, fewer people seem to read blogs like this. The sex reviewer and blogger community doesn’t exist like it once did, either. Plus, as I grew busy with my life outside of the blog, I have not always posted consistently (don’t even remind me of the periods when I disappeared from Twitter and Facebook!). Talk about bad for SEO!

But I am still here because even if my reasons have changed, my passion for sexuality remains. So many people still need information about sex, whether for themselves, their children, their students, their patients, or their clients. That information is limited, both directly and indirectly, because it’s a sensitive and sometimes controversial topic. People are left to their own devices–often porn–to learn about sex, but what they’re learning is so often more harmful than helpful. We are a long way from providing access to that information to those who need it, not just for satisfaction in the bedroom but for quality of life. Through this blog, I can contribute to that information via resources for the general public.

Yet that’s not all I want to do. Going back to school showed me that I am also interested in helping us learn more about sex through research to continue to help people–and that I am qualified to do so. I am sure some people are unsurprised to learn that I plan to apply for PhD programs this fall.

Whether I am accepted or not, my future as a sex educator will expand beyond the sex toy reviews that had been the focus of this blog for so long. Of course, I’ve already made changes, such as my shift to reviewing books, my Science of Sex feature, and my well-intended media recommendations. On social media, I’ve spent more time sharing links to about research, for example.

But that’s not all. I plan to add courses and host webinars. Perhaps I’ll dip my toe into the world of podcasts–as a guest, of course. Eventually, I want to write a book to reach people beyond the screen. I want to start a Patreon to help fund this endeavor and provide exclusive content to my patrons.

To this end, I need a new name and brand and a domain and website to go with it (of course, I have been hung up on this for years. It’s no easy task, coming up with a brand, and ChatGPT has yet to help. How do you remain punchy and memorable but broad enough to not pigeonhole yourself too much? And don’t get me started on SEO!

I’ll get there eventually.. somehow. In the meantime, I’ll still be here, updating old posts, fixing broken links, and otherwise housekeeping behind the scenes. It’s not much of a party, but I hope to see you around.