Victimisation on OnlyFans: Digital symbolic violence and patriarchal-capitalist exploitation and hypersexualisation of the female body

This paper analyses the phenomenon of digital symbolic violence on the OnlyFans platform, with particular emphasis on hypersexualised content and the role of patriarchal-capitalist structures in its production. In recent times, there has been a growing exploitation of the female body promoted through digital platforms. Concern about the harmful impact of such phenomena, as well as the potential for change through education and increased awareness of misogynistic stereotypes, serves as the primary motivation for investigating the issues surrounding OnlyFans. OnlyFans is a platform that enables direct interaction between creators and audiences, thereby opening space for the analysis of numerous socio-cultural and power-related questions. This research aimed to gain a deeper understanding of the dynamics between digital platforms, sexual objectification, and power, as well as to shed light on how patriarchal-capitalist systems shape women?s experiences on these platforms. The paper is based on an analysis of media-published interviews with content creators, focusing on their perceptions of promoting explicit material and on the intersection between freedom of expression and the exploitation of women?s bodies within the contemporary social context. The methodological framework includes a qualitative analysis of publicly available media texts and interviews. The theoretical framework of this study is grounded in an interdisciplinary approach that integrates feminist theory, media and communication studies, social psychology, and critical theory of capitalism.