I found this thread very interesting and relevant to my own experiences... And I understand all the different viewpoints, both positive and negative regarding relationships between cam models and customers.
While I haven't met a majority of my girlfriends on cam sites, I am what people might consider a chronic dater of cam models. I have met and had fairly serious relationships with four models since about 2008—women I met on LiveJasmine, Streammate, and MFC. While none ended up in marriage, three of the relationships evolved afterwards into long lasting friendships with regular contact and certainly no hard feelings.
While it might not be the best for everybody, I think there are actually some ADVANTAGES TO MEETING WOMEN ON CAM SITES for me and my particular personality...
Firstly, in my professional life I work and travel a lot. I also work a lot with actors in creating photographic and video images. So I kind of have an inborn love for roleplaying and a voyeuristic tendency that needs constant stimulation. The draw of cam models here is obvious—galleries of endless live filmic subjects. It's too powerful for me to resist.
Also, in all four of my relationship with cam models, the women were Eastern European (Russian, Lithuanian, and Romanian twice). This is just my personal taste—I love the expressive features and cultural attitudes of Slavic and Dacian women. I admit I don't even look at the North American or other cam models when on a site like MFC because of this bias. It is just my particular bias but cam sites are very useful here in providing a conduit for meeting and really getting to know these women overseas. Not as good as actually living and working in these places (which I have) but still enough of an opportunity.
Emotionally, I think there are many unique advantages. A psychology major could write multiple theses on the subject!
As has been mentioned, cam model + customer interactions often START with a sexual sharing usually reserved only for intimate relationships. Now, depending upon your attitudes towards sex and emotional intimacy, I would argue that this can actually be an advantage because it literally gets orgasms "out of the way" so you can start getting to know each other. That is, any mutual interest remaining interest between a model and customer afterwards tends to evolve towards more complex emotional or respectful attitudes.
Admittedly for some models, this does not work. Some women have built immense and impenetrable emotional shields to protect themselves and in effect rationalize why they are sharing sexual intimacy for money with strangers (let's face it, there's a very old term for this). These models have strict rules for themselves and will NEVER share any of their personal lives or consider meeting a customer. Perversely, they might even look down upon their customers, but I think this is rare. Most models keep this separation between their work and personal lives to protect themselves. And I don't disagree with their philosophy. After all, who knows what type of creeps may be lurking out there.
However, in very special circumstances, there may arise a deep communication and commonality between a model and customer. For me, all four women whom I ended up meeting, were very hard working and intelligent individuals working towards a greater future ambition. My four ladies were—training as a police officer while being a single mother; getting a degree in art history; getting a degree in advertising; getting a law degree. So right away I gained an immense respect for all these women that went beyond their physical attraction. And in all cases, it was not long before we were sharing our personal hopes and ambitions.
Also, in all four of my experience, I would say that my desire to have an on camera sexual interaction stopped pretty soon after the real feelings began. Once our unexpected connection started to grow, I did not want to be a part of the models' everyday job. I was happy to send messages in between shows or via personal e-mail and occasionally tip just as a gesture (never at their own request). Now I realize that for a lot of models such a person might be considered a nuisance, a "freeloader" at their job. But in all these cases, I was definitely not considered a nuisance. This was owing to the girls' special personalities. They did not have the mindset of a stripper or similar. So I became a friend, a confidant, and even a career counselor.
Eventually I met all four women in person, living with and traveling with a few to different countries. Each relationship was very beautiful and unique as the individuals' personalities. Interestingly, the emotional and/or sexual rapports were not always matching what we had online. In one case, it was astronomically better (
). In another circumstance, I felt like there was much less physical chemistry than may have occurred between us in the virtual space. But that is a risk common to online relationships.
In the end, I have never given up webcam sites because they have been too rewarding a way to meet women... In fact, a woman I talk to now might soon become my fifth such relationship. Calmly, I hope that she might be "the one". Because she is amazingly sensitive yet reliable as a calming presence. Yes, I am romantic (or silly) enough to think you can see your unborn children in a woman's eyes.
So my "2 cents" to the question posed by this thread is that there is no rule. Humans are humans, in any venue. The quality and potential of a relationship always depends upon the personal traits of the people involved. You have to use your social tact and read the circumstances unique to your situation.
To guys — If a model acts uncomfortable when you ask her personal questions, take a hint and back off. If there really seems to be some mutual personal connection, be patient and maybe she will reveal more of herself to you in time. It's all about having social tact practicing empathy. If a cam model starts messaging you on topics of outside interest and turning your cam on just to watch you without you ever tipping her, she might be open to something more.
To models — if you do not already know it, there is every variety of male out there in your audience. You might actually find the most sensitive and strong types among us! Mainly, because this is the age of globalism and the Internet, the most sensitive souls (male or female) often end up feeling more lonely than ever. Try to keep an open mind, because life and beauty can grow in the most unlikely of places.
:handgestures-salute: