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Sugar dating, also called sugaring, is a relationship of an older wealthy person and a younger person who is in need of financial assistance. This sometimes achieves mutual benefits, but is often abused to take advantage of and coerce poor people. According to the ''
Oxford English Dictionary The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (''OED'') is the first and foundational historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press (OUP). It traces the historical development of the English language, providing a com ...
'' (2017), the term "sugar" is slang, but is often used as a modifier to "sweeten" something or as a euphemism for money. Payment can be received by way of money, gifts like designer goods, jewellery, support or other material benefits in exchange for companionship or a dating-like relationship. The person who receives the gifts is called a sugar baby, while their paying partner is called a sugar daddy or sugar momma. Sugar dating is especially popular in the online dating community due to the easy access to specific niches and desires.


Prevalence

The phenomenon of powerful men using their money to attract women is old. At the end of the 19th century, in a phenomenon known as "treating", women with low-paying jobs relied upon men to provide them with money in exchange for being an escort. With the rising costs in tuition, cuts to scholarships and
bursaries A bursary is a monetary award made by any educational institution or funding authority to individuals or groups. It is usually awarded to enable a student to attend school, university or college when they might not be able to, otherwise. Some awa ...
, as well as the increasing pressures of student debt, sugar dating has become prevalent among students. Research suggests that there is a growing phenomenon of female university students working in the sex industry to pay for their post-secondary education. Due to the nature and stigmatization of sex work in the marginalized and hidden population, there is limited information for the percentage of students participating in these types of relationships. Those that decide to participate in sugar often use various websites to come in contact with these people. The websites that are used to negotiate sugar arrangements are technically dating sites and what happens after the initial date, whether involving sexual or other activities, is between the parties. Membership on one site in 2016 was $70 per month for sugar daddies or mommies, but free for sugar babies.


Social media impact

As we look more in today's time, Sugar dating has become a lot less informal. Platforms such as OnlyFans,
Tinder Tinder is easily combustible material used to start a fire. Tinder is a finely divided, open material which will begin to glow under a shower of sparks. Air is gently wafted over the glowing tinder until it bursts into flame. The flaming tinder i ...
and
Instagram Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...
create easier access to sugaring relationships. Sugar dating has become so popular that some even use it as a scamming technique to exploit interests. People will advertise that they are offering money for a relationship in an effort to trick people into giving them personal information, such as their banking information. Musical artists and other influencers also promote sugaring relationships and some forms of sex work with their platform. This can be seen in certain famous people, like Bella Thorne.


Legality and comparison to sex work

There is debate about whether this practice can be considered sex work, i.e., purchase of intimate attention, sexual or otherwise. In an article from
Deutsche Welle Deutsche Welle (; "German Wave" in English), abbreviated to DW, is a German public, state-owned international broadcaster funded by the German federal tax budget. The service is available in 32 languages. DW's satellite television service con ...
, the CEO of
SeekingArrangement Seeking.com (formerly known as SeekingArrangement) is an American online dating service founded by Brandon Wade in San Francisco, California, in 2006. Wade was previously the CEO of the company until June 2022 when he was succeeded by Ruben Bu ...
denied that the site played host to prostitutes and their customers, saying that "escorts and their clients are never welcome on our sites". One woman who used the site made it clear that she did not want to sell sex and that she did not see herself as an escort. Another user, a man, admitted that the "economic power relationship is very noticeable" between him and his sugar daddy and that he sometimes had to have sex with his sugar daddy when he did not want to. Sugaring has been called the modern-day counterpart of the 17th-century ''
courtesan Courtesan, in modern usage, is a euphemism for a "kept" mistress (lover), mistress or prostitute, particularly one with wealthy, powerful, or influential clients. The term historically referred to a courtier, a person who attended the Royal cour ...
'', "a prostitute, especially one with wealthy or upper-class clients." Sugar dating sites were affected by the 2018
Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act The FOSTA (Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act) and SESTA (Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act) are the U.S. Senate and House bills that became law on April 11, 2018. They clarify the country's sex trafficking law to make ...
passed by the
U.S. Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...
, which prompted the closure of many sugar dating sites operating in the U.S. This included Established Men, a sugar dating site owned by the parent company of Ashley Madison, Ruby Corp, and the personals section of Craigslist.


See also

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Age disparity in sexual relationships Concepts of age disparity in sexual relationships, including what defines an age disparity, have developed over time and vary among societies. Differences in age preferences for mates can stem from partner availability, gender roles, and evoluti ...
* Client (prostitution) *
Enjo kōsai is a type of transactional relationship similar to the western equivalent being a call girl of Sugaring. It is the Japanese language term for the practice of older men giving money and/or luxury gifts to attractive young women for sexual favors ...
* Gigolo * Girlfriend experience *
Gold digger Gold digger is a term for a person, typically a woman, who engages in a type of transactional relationship for money rather than love. If it turns into marriage, it is a type of marriage of convenience. Etymology and usage The term "gold ...
*
Mistress (lover) A mistress is a woman who is in a relatively long-term sexual and romantic relationship with a man who is married to a different woman. Description A mistress is in a long-term relationship with her attached mister, and is often referred to ...
*
Prostitution Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in Sex work, sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, n ...
*
Transactional sex Transactional sex refers to sexual relationships where the giving and/or receiving of gifts, money or other services is an important factor. The participants do not necessarily frame themselves in terms of prostitutes/clients, but often as girlfrie ...
*
Treating (dating) In the social context of dating, treating is the practice of providing companionship and intimate activity in exchange for entertainment outings, gifts, and other items of monetary value, such as tickets and clothes. The activity was prevalent in ...
* Trophy wife


References

{{Interpersonal relationships footer Intimate relationships Prostitution Sexuality and age