Second Life

Second Life isn’t exactly a sex toy brand, but this virtual world platform has been a major player in digital intimacy since its public launch in 2003. The metaverse environment lets users create avatars and interact in user-generated virtual spaces—and a significant portion of that activity involves adult content, virtual relationships, and digital sexual experiences. As we explored in our piece on the history of sex in video games, virtual worlds like Second Life have long been spaces where people explore sexuality in ways they might not in physical reality. Developed by Linden Lab and founded by Philip Rosedale in 1999, Second Life gained mainstream attention in the mid-2000s—including Philip’s recognition as one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in 2007. The platform even produced the first real-world millionaire from virtual real estate (Anshe Chung) in 2006 and won a Technology & Engineering Emmy Award in 2008. While discussions around virtual intimacy have evolved to include concerns about consent and safety—legal scholars have even advocated for criminalizing VR ‘rape’—Second Life remains a longstanding space where users engage in everything from virtual dating to adult roleplay. The platform operates out of San Francisco and continues to serve as one of the early examples of how digital environments can facilitate intimate connections, sexual expression, and adult entertainment in virtual spaces.