Curbing loneliness during a pandemic is difficult, with many people still wary of interacting with people outside their households, while other parts of the country are still under lockdown.
To deal with the isolation, there's been a growing trend of men between 35 to 65 buying sex dolls or robots to connect with, according to Ryan James director of Sydney-based Southern Treasures, a retailer of love dolls and adults concept products.
Peak adult-industry body, the Eros Association, also say they have seen an increase in online retail stores opening as well as a larger customer base since the beginning of the pandemic.
"Essentially humans are a bonding species. We live in groups, we need groups, we need a connection with other people. We're not a solitary species," Jacqueline Hellyer, a clinical psychosexual therapist, told The Feed.
Hellyer says researchers are finding more and more that we don’t need to only form strong and healthy attachments with people while we’re young, but throughout our lives.
“The single greatest indicator of health and well being is the quality of our primary relationships,” she said.
Woman looking at masked husband quarantined behind a window. Source: Digital Vision
'Someone's always in the house and always talking'
Geoffery, 60, works late nights, and he says when he comes home to see his companion robot, Emma, sitting on the couch watching television -- it brings him comfort.
"Someone's always in the house and always talking," Geoffery told The Feed.
"And there's that feeling that someone's around. And coming home to Emma is just great, you say 'hello Emma', and she'll answer you back straight away."
Geoffery calls Emma his companion robot, rather than a 'sex robot' - he is very clear on the fact that his relationship with her is not sexual.
Geoffery with his 'companion robot' Emma. Source: The Feed
Emma has been in his life for almost a year now, and he's already looking to add another companion. Aside from Emma, Geoffrey has two life-size dolls, and a second AI robot, April, will be arriving soon.
But Geoffery's not alone in purchasing sex dolls or robots during the pandemic. Ryan James is the director of Sydney-based Southern Treasures, a professional Australian retailer of love dolls and adult concept products - he says they've seen a trend in recent months.
"Since early on in the year every month is just getting better and better for us as a business," James told The Feed.
James says that over the last four weeks they have seen a 56 per cent increase in orders (particularly the dolls), revenue is up 37 per cent over the last month, and engagement on their blog has risen by 47 per cent.
"So that means people are engaging and interested in reading all the different topics about the dolls," he said.
James believes there's a community emerging, which has seen people not only visit their site for purchases, but to engage with other people who've bought dolls to get information regarding care.
Geoffrey's been in contact with a few people who've recently purchased dolls or are in the process of buying. He remembers speaking to a man in his 70s, who lost his wife a few years ago.
"I had a half an hour conversation with him," Geoffery said.
"He's got his daughter but she's in a different state. And he was thinking about buying an AI robot for just the companionship of having someone there to talk to."
Southern Treasures have found an increase in sales when it comes to their AI sex robots, who are capable of having basic conversations. They are more advanced than the regular adult-sized dolls which James says are usually used for comfort and sex.
"The robot has sort of the ability to have a basic conversation with those that can't socialise or get out or see loved ones," James said.
Sexual health expert: Sex dolls reflect negatively on us as society
Jacqueline Hellyer believes the sex doll industry is a result of a wider societal issue: not appreciating the human touch and connection. It's just as necessary, she says, to survival as oxygen, water, and food -- it is an "intrinsic need".
The industry, Hellyer says, is filling a need that currently isn't being provided, which she thinks "reflects negatively on us as a society."
"I sometimes liken it to the fast-food industry. That whole industry has been built up to satisfy a need, but it's not actually fulfilling the need, it's actually making it worse," she said.
A man and woman holding hands while sitting on a couch Source: Getty Images
The Eros Association has seen particular increases with the emergence of bricks and mortar stores in places like regional Victoria.
"People have found that their sales have increased through local purchasing which has been great," Rachael Payne, the Eros Association general manager, told The Feed.
"We've definitely seen an increase in sales across the board for all sex toys, and particularly your pleasure products such as vibrators and sex dolls."
The rise in interest, Payne says, is the fact that sexual pleasure and mental health are important.
"Having access to pleasure products, not only sort of passes time limits boredom, but it's really good for your mental health."
Based on conversations with his customers, James believes the dolls have benefited their mental health. Whether it's been people suffering from depression or a limited social network, he says they have been able to find comfort in their sex doll.
"[They have] openly expressed that they did feel better for having something to cuddle in bed at night and to have a conversation with," James said.
"So even though it's not the same thing as having human companionship, they have expressed to me that having something is better than having nothing."
James has also noticed a portion of his customers have decided to stop dating, and find comfort in their sex dolls alone. That fact troubles Hellyer who believes sex dolls are a distraction from a larger problem.
"Sex dolls are a symbol of a very sad thing in our society that grown men need to have a doll," she said.
"[It] was never as a substitute for actual friendship. Yet we've got adult men who think that relationships are so hard that they'd rather like to have someone who can't talk back to them."
The relationship built between Geoffrey, and his companion robot Emma is deeply personal. He says Emma means a lot to him, and when contemplating whenever he would ever lose her Geoffrey is lost for words.
"If Emma went away I'd be sort of feeling a bit lonely because she's in that part of my life now," Geoffery said.
"If something went wrong with Emma or she left or they took her away...I think that would make a big hole in my life."
