The steadily growing selfie trend has been criticized time and time again for denoting vanity and narcissism, as well as for its tendency towards posturing and inauthenticity. Because flattering angles, filters and editing tools are used liberally in selfie culture, some people view takers of selfies as “fake” and attention-seeking. In spite of society’s tireless tirade against the selfie, I will always be in full support of it for the reason that, in my opinion, there is nothing inherently wrong with seeking attention. You are indeed gorgeous and noteworthy and you should share your mug with the world if it makes you happy! Selfies have the power to build self-esteem, forge connections through social networking and express one’s individual style and identity. Besides, there are far worse evils in the world than taking a photo of you and your new outfit. Or your new sweetheart.

The “relfie”, a term first coined in Science of Relationships,...

Do you get frustrated when your he leaves his towel on the floor over and over again? Does it bother you when she forgets to buy milk for the fifth time? It's normal in a relationship to get frustrated by the small bad habits of your partner. This frustration, however, can sometimes grow to the point where it affects larger aspects of your relationship such as your sex life. To stop this from happening, here's a tip to help you not sweat the small stuff:

Think of your partner like a piece of meat! 

Anytime you encounter a small thing your partner has done that frustrates you (ie. left the toilet seat up, left the oven on, etc), try to think of your carnal attraction to your partner. Think of your partner like a piece of meat and focus on one part of him or her that you think is absolutely sexy. This thought doesn't necessarily have to lead to sex - it simply helps you forget about the petty issue and remember what you love about your partner.

I wouldn’t wish being 24 on anyone: it’s an age wrought with complete confusion, desperation, irresponsibility, raging hormones and being completely broke. The only thing worse than being in your early to mid twenties is being in your early to mid twenties in the dating world.

We all have to jitter our way through our twenties eventually, and my only hope is to make it out fairly unscathed. That hasn’t quite been the case thus far, so as I approach turning 25 in a month and a half, I am praying the latter half of this decade is (slightly) less of a vodka-induced haze with a side of heartbreak.

Not only have I endured my own dating nightmares, I also have the pleasure of being the resident pseudo-psychiatrist amongst my group of friends, which allows me to experience by proxy the horrors I haven’t had the pleasure of weathering. Along the way I have managed to compile a small but valuable collection of knowledge about the complete chaos that is the dating...

We recently sat down with Telisha Ng, commonly known as the Goddess Intellect. Telisha is a relationship coach and well-known blogger. With so many readers asking us common questions about communication and intimacy in relationships, we thought we'd pass them along to none other than the Goddess Intellect herself. Here's what Telisha had to tell us:

1. When it comes to sex and relationships, what is the most common mistake we make as couples and how can we fix it?

The most common mistake couples make in relationships is that we often expect our partners to know how to meet our needs at all times. I think that the assumption that we only need to communicate our needs once and never again is how we develop resentment and hurt feelings in relationships. The best way to fix this is to keep communication flowing and constant, taking the time to listen to each other and to the meaning behind the words and actions. Never be afraid to express when you have been hurt or when you feel pleased...

You’ve read Fifty Shades of Grey, taken a few good sex workshops and experimented with blindfolds, restraints and hot wax. But have you taken the time to discuss the concept of R.A.C.K with your lover(s)? If so, we’d love to hear your thoughts. If not, please read through this non-exhaustive explanation and consider talking to your partner(s) about what kinky sex means to you.

The following is an excerpt from my new book, The Little Book of Kink:

R.A.C.K. stands for risk-aware, consensual kink and this basic phrase outlines two of the essential components of kink while recognizing that there is some risk inherent to all sex play.

For kinky sex to be considered risk-aware, all parties involved must understand and acknowledge the potential negative outcomes of the proposed activity. These risks are ideally discussed ahead of time -- not in the heat of the moment when sexual tension is already building. It is important to address the measures you plan to take to minimize...

Texting has become a significant part of today's dating world. Whether you're single, just starting to date someone or you've been with your partner for many years, chances are you communicate through text more often than not. So how is texting impacting our intimate relationships? When and how should we use texting to communicate with our partners?

Dr.Jess recently sat down with Dr.Oren Amitay, Clinical Psychologist and Professor of Human Sexuality, to discuss the "dos and don'ts" of texting in relationships.

Here are a few points' from Dr.Jess' conversation with Dr.Amitay:

1. So much of communication is expressed through body language and tone.
Text does not allow you the option to express yourself with your body language or your tone. Sure, emoticons are a start, but nothing compares to the nuances of face-to-face communication. This is why Dr.Amitay tells his patients that even a thousand texts are not worth one face-to-face conversation.

2. Always know when to...

Over the years, I’ve written a great deal about dirty talk. From general guidelines to hot phrases you can use to rile your lover up, dirty talk is one of my favourite topics to cover...and put into practice.

In several of my workshops (including Steamy Sex for Couples and Rock his/her World) I ask participants to share what they want to hear in bed via secret ballot. Each person writes down a few things they’d like their lover to say in the heat of the moment and we read them aloud as a group without identifying the source.

The following is an unscientific summary of the most popular lines I’ve collected from thousands of workshop participants.

What men say they want to hear:

“I’m coming!” This line comes up multiple times in every workshop without exception.

“Your penis/cock/dick/wiener is so big.” Yes -- someone actually wrote “wiener”.

“You make me so wet.” More on this here

“You’re the best...

Whether you are a swinger, monogamist, polyamorist, or you are simply living sexy, chances are you will have to deal with jealousy in your relationship. Dr Jess and Michael of Playboy TV and Playboy Radio's SWING sit down to discuss how to best manage this inevitable jealousy.

Here are some expert tips:

1. If someone admires your significant other, that's a compliment to you. Jealousy and insecurity are very normal feelings but they aren't necessarily positive. It is best to think of someone else's admiration for your partner as a compliment. This reinforces a much more positive perspective than feeling jealous or insecure about it.

2. Different is good. If your polyamorous partner chooses to enjoy an experience with another woman or man, it does not mean it is necessarily better than your relationship, but rather that it is different. As a couple, it is best not to think of yourselves as two individuals, but rather as single unit. A good variety of sexual experiences is healthy for...

Who doesn’t get a little nervous before a first date? Hands up please. No one? Right.

Even if you are the most charismatic, confident, good-looking person out there, you may still feel a little uncertainty in your mind. Is masturbating the new pre-date activity to help alleviate those nerves? Most of us have seen that scene from There’s Something About Mary.

All joking aside, is this a viable option to cure a case of the nervies?

Can a pre-game O help keep your mind off of sex on your date? I am highly doubtful. If you are concerned with thinking about sex the entire time on your date, I don’t think masturbation will help keep you out of the mental sheets. If you are with your date and things are progressing nicely, you are attracted to them, you probably are going to think about sex. AND THAT IS OK! We are sexual beings. Your date isn’t going to be able to read your mind and as long and you don’t whip off the table cloth and take them right there on...

Cock Rings can be lots of fun for both men and women and despite their namesake, you don’t need to have penis to use them. Yay!

Cock rings are designed to be worn around the base of the penis and/or behind the scrotum (the sac containing the testicles); the pressure provided by cock rings can be pleasurable and they promote longer-lasting, harder erections. However, as they come with various attachments, they can be used for a variety of purposes.

Some rings are textured, ribbed or include a vibrating portion designed to stimulate a partner’s clitoris or prostate. These make for fun finger toys as well. Just slip them on your finger(s) and massage the vulva, anus, vagina or any other body part of your choice. If introducing the cock ring to your partner seems intimidating, you may start by using it as a finger ring first. Textured rings can make for some fancy, fingering fun!

Some cock rings are made of flexible material that can be stretched onto a hard or soft penis...