OnlyFans: Explosive Growth and Disturbing Trends
The statement “Onlyfans is destroying society” might not seem controversial to many. The widespread adoption of a platform primarily focused on adult content raises intuitive concerns. However, recent developments, including a lawsuit against OnlyFans, prompt a data-driven look at how the platform might be damaging society across multiple dimensions.
Launched in 2016 by Fenix International Limited, OnlyFans remained relatively small until 2020. Possibly fueled by the pandemic, its growth exploded. From 300,000 creators between 2016-2019, it ballooned, adding around 1.3 million new creators in 2020 alone. By 2023 (latest official figures), it amassed over 4.1 million creators, serving roughly 350 million subscribers.
The Scale: Comparing OnlyFans Creators to US Careers
Focusing on creators (the 4.1 million figure from 2023 likely understates the current 2025 reality, potentially closer to 5-6 million), data suggests 84% are female, with an average age of 29 (according to Gitnux). The US accounts for over two-thirds of OnlyFans revenue, allowing an estimation of roughly 2.7 million US-based creators.
Assuming 84% are female yields approximately 2.2 million female creators in the US, averaging 29 years old. To put this in perspective, let’s compare it to the US labor market. According to the US Department of Labor Women’s Bureau, the most common profession for women is Registered Nurse, numbering around 2.2 million. This makes the estimated number of US female OnlyFans creators comparable to the single most common female career.
This comparison becomes even more stark considering age demographics. The American Association of Colleges of Nurses reports the median age for RNs is 46. Most OnlyFans creators are significantly younger (average 29), with few tracked above 40. When comparing age brackets, the number of female elementary/middle school teachers (the second most common career) under 40 is roughly 700,000 to 1 million. This suggests a young woman might be twice as likely to be an OnlyFans creator than a teacher in a similar age group.
If selling sexual content online were classified as a career path (ignoring the extreme income stratification for now), based on these figures, it would arguably be the most common “career” for young women in the US by a significant margin.
The Myth of Financial Freedom: Declining Creator Earnings
Despite the platform’s growth, the idea of OnlyFans as a guaranteed path to wealth is largely a myth. Analytical data, highlighted by Matthew Ball, shows that while the total number of creators roughly doubled from 2 million to over 4 million between 2021 and 2023, the average earnings per creator *dropped* by about 30%.
The average OnlyFans creator earns less than $2,000 annually. This minimal income comes with significant potential downsides: negative impacts on relationships, risks to future career prospects, privacy concerns, and potential issues for existing or future children. While many careers carry risks, the narrative surrounding OnlyFans often suggests easy money and “cheating the system,” which doesn’t align with the financial reality for most.
Stories exist of teachers losing jobs over discovered OnlyFans accounts. If the platform reliably offered millions, such risks might seem justifiable. However, the reality is that most users likely earn less than $200 per month while facing substantial social risks.
Income Inequality: Where Does the Money Go?
While some creators, typically established influencers or celebrities, do earn millions (OnlyFans states around 3,000 creators have earned over $1M), this success isn’t accessible to average users. These high earners often had public profiles *before* joining OnlyFans.
The platform exhibits extreme income inequality. The top 10% of accounts collect 73% of all revenue. This leaves the bottom 90% of creators – nine out of ten people seeking financial freedom – competing for just 27% of the platform’s payouts. These figures are worsening over time.
Subscriber Deception: Agencies and AI Chatbots
Shifting focus to subscribers, a lawsuit filed in March 2025 alleges that subscribers messaging creators were often interacting with third-party agencies, not the creators themselves. While some may lack sympathy, this practice contradicts OnlyFans’ marketing emphasis on “authentic relationships” and “personal experiences.”
Specialized agencies like OFagency.co manage creator accounts, potentially handling a large portion of interactions, especially direct messages, which founder Amir Kamal suggests can constitute 50-60% of a creator’s revenue. Subscribers believe they’re talking to a specific creator, but it might be an agency employee elsewhere in the world.
The deception extends beyond human agencies to AI chatbots. Tools like Supercreator AI are used, as reported by Vice News in 2024. An agency owner using the tool claimed it boosted sales by helping “target their most lucrative fans,” scanning for inactive users and initiating conversations automatically, sometimes leading to large tips ($1,000 in one example). While suggesting creators should personalize interactions, the use of AI to initiate and manage conversations is growing.
The Threat of AI Persuasion
This use of AI intersects with warnings from AI experts about “superhuman persuasion.” Even non-sentient Large Language Models could become incredibly effective at persuading vulnerable individuals (like potentially lonely subscribers) to think or act in certain ways, far beyond average human capability. This isn’t distant sci-fi; the potential applications are vast and developing rapidly.
Knowing that OnlyFans creators and agencies use AI chatbots to “target lucrative fans” with documented success, let’s revisit revenue trends. From 2021 to 2023 – the same period average creator earnings fell – the *source* of OnlyFans revenue shifted. While recurring subscription revenue slightly decreased as a percentage, “one-off payments” (like large tips from targeted fans) substantially increased. This suggests the AI targeting strategies are effective.
Harm at Every Level
Viewing the situation broadly reveals potential harm at every stage:
- Creators: Lured by false promises of financial freedom, they face decreasing earning potential while taking on significant personal and social risks.
- Subscribers: Deceived into believing they have personal connections, they are targeted by agencies and potentially manipulative AI persuasion tools designed to extract money.
This ecosystem, growing rapidly over just a few years, appears detrimental. The platform seems to erode trust, privacy, stability, and dignity.
Conclusion: A Detrimental Force?
The negative impacts seem to outweigh potential benefits for most users. Creator benefits are decreasing, while risks expand daily. The platform’s structure, reliance on deceptive practices, income inequality, and embrace of potentially manipulative AI tools paint a picture of a system causing tangible harm.
While calling it “destroying society” might sound hyperbolic, the data suggests OnlyFans, perhaps more than many other platforms, is contributing to negative social trends regarding relationships, financial expectations, and authentic interaction. Its trajectory indicates these problems are likely accelerating.
