Voyeur Cams- University Wire

 

Dorm Web Cam use on the rise.

From: University Wire  | Date: March 13, 2002  | Author: Jennifer Berry 
 

(The Vista) (U-WIRE) SAN DIEGO -- Web cams in student dorm rooms is an increasing phenomenon in college campuses across the nation. With the rising popularity of Web cameras, however, comes the possibility of using them for less than modest activities. In many Web cam sites, college life is something that is successfully marketed as adult voyeur entertainment, and surfers of the Web looking for a sneak peek can log onto these Web cam sites and view supposed vibrant college students' sex lives.

Two well-known Web cam sites, Dude Dorm and its sister site, Voyeur Dorm, are currently under litigation in Tampa, Fla. These two voyeur sites have 14 supposed male college students and seven female students living in two different voyeur houses. Dude Dorm advertises itself as "14 hot young college studs! Living in a pimped out house together gets a little crazy...you know you'll want to tune in and watch us." Web cams are positioned throughout the houses, to film people showering and their other intimate deeds, and for a fee of $34 a month one can be a cyber peeping tom and watch as they indulge in their carnal desires.

Dude Dorm gives its subscribers the idea that they're watching people live in a house, but in actuality it is a compound next to an adult bookstore. The company chose that site so they would avoid zoning laws. Earlier this year, the authorities of Tampa raided the compound forcing all 33 web cams to be turned off.

Seven women reside in a suburban home in Voyeur Dorm and within this house there are 40 web cams throughout the house filming these females shower and dress. They have also been in litigation and the attorney general of Florida is determined to evict them. In actuality, only three out of the seven women are college students and many are as young as 18. Both Voyeur and Dude Dorm are filmed seven days a week, 24 hours a day.

Despite the college-life atmosphere both companies use for marketing, Dude Dorm and Voyeur are actually owned by 27-year-old Seth Warshavsky.

"Voyeur Dorm" alone grosses a whopping $200,000 a month.

Michelle Fenwick, a student, is opposed to cyber voyeurism.

"I think it is debauchery. It degrades oneself; you're still putting your body out for sale.Your compromising self esteem for money. Using the Web cam to sell your body is taking things to the extreme," she said.

Web cams, however, are not just used for sexual voyeurism. Web cam Dorm is a site that is offered to college students to show their daily routine on web cameras. Like Dude Dorm and Voyeur Dorm, it is broadcasted seven days a week, 24 hours a day. It broadcasts one's whole entire life on the Internet for everyone to view, but there is an agreement with Web Dorm and its participants, "Web cam Dormers", that there will be no offensive images. Web Dorm is very popular amongst New England colleges and its popularity is spreading throughout the country. Web Dorm lists a biography about each student and gives viewers the ability to chat with that student.

"I had a friend who went to Berkeley and her parents lived here in San Diego. She would have conferences with her family and other people on the Internet would try to watch their conversation. My friend and her family thought their privacy was being invaded," Fenwick said.

With the growing use of Web cams among college students, sites like Voyeur Dorm are rapidly growing. Intel performed a study of Web cam purchases in 2001, which showed 10 million cameras were sold. Sixty-three percent of college students are now keeping in touch with their family and friends with the Web camera. The price range is about $50-150, which is comparable to the price of books.

"It's nice to have Web cam conferences to see my family in Germany," Fenwick said.