There are many studies and papers in progress about the effect that the web is having on American sexuality.
One of the bigger ones is that the web has been starting to pick apart the nudity taboo in America. Flash back to the 70's or the 80's or earlier, and if a picture of young woman nude surfaced she'd be ruined. The attached stigma and shame were massive. But as the web came along, and easy photography with devices with it, more and more average everyday women started to share nudes. Often the thinking was 'There are uncounted boobies on the web so what does it really matter if mine are too?' The fact that nudes are also a form of social currency now plays a part.
The rise of camming presents a entirely new area of growth and exploration.
First up, camming provides connectivity. It is not passive porn. A image or video is not interactive beyond the fantasy the viewer maps onto it. One way communication. Cams force a connection of sorts into the mix. The viewer is in interaction with a human, and that human can defend their innate humanity if it's challenged or ignored. Right there, the basic balance of how porn is consumed is altered. It starts to teach that sexuality when it involves others, needs to be to the benefit of both parties, and that is a lesson that static porn never can convey.
A poster above noted that Camming shows women honestly enjoying themselves, their bodies and their sexualities. This sends a lot of messages that were not seen often in the culture, and has impacts in encouraging other women to see themselves in a more whole way, and viewers to see woman as possessing the same sexual desires and drives they do.
Camming flattens the media monopoly on body image. With thousands of real women showing their bodies everyday, the sample set of sexualized images that a viewer is exposed to becomes much much more representative of what the world really looks like. The media 'ideal' as presented on TV, film, and advertising has always ruled in shaping generations ideas on what beauty is. Often to the great detriment of our culture. With Cams the concept of a single 'right' look is disrupted, and what is sexy and erotic becomes widened. This is culturally healthy.
These are just some of the biggest things that are starting to shake out. There are people looking into how cam models are often 'companions' to many viewers that also convey intimacy and care unto people who might be isolated, or lack the skills or means to pursue traditional interactions. And how this social aspect of the work is healthy for a society. It battles that aloneness many suffered from before.
There will be a lot of papers and research showing in the next years. It should be interesting.