Keyana Blanchard

Professor Spillane

UWRT 1102

23 October 2017

Mental Health Risks Among Sugar Babies

As of 2013, 44 percent of self-proclaimed sugar babies on Seeking Arrangement- the

leading Sugar Daddy dating site- were college students (Jaeger). A sugar baby is a woman who

is seeking an older man to support her financially in return for companionship, which may or

may not entail a sexual relationship. These women will set up mutually beneficial

relationships, also called arrangements, which consist of three components: the sugar daddy, the

sugar baby, and an allowance (Motyl). There are a number of reasons that the sugar lifestyle has

become more popularized among college-age women in recent years. However, there is rarely

any conversation regarding the effects on the mental and emotional health of these woman who

are agreeing to sell their companionship. This paper will explore the potential for mental and

emotional damage that comes from participating in the sugar baby lifestyle.

Logically, it is no secret why more and more female students are turning to sugaring to

make money. In 2011, the average college graduate had acquired over $27,000 in student loan

debt and the unemployment rate for people between the ages of 20-24 was almost 15 percent

(United States Department of Labor). Since then, the average student debt rose by 13 percent in

2016. So of course when given the proposition to simply spend time with someone and have the

chance to make hundreds or even thousands of dollars, some people are willing to jump at the

chance. The prospect of being a sugar baby has garnered extensive attention with the rise of

women sharing their experiences and tips on various social media platforms, especially on
Twitter and Tumblr. Of course, due to the nature of social media, this lifestyle is glamourized

and flaunted without any mention of the possible negative aspects. Also, after doing a Google

search with the terms money for school and tuition help, Seeking Arrangement is one of the

first websites to pop up as a result. Seeking Arrangement even perpetuates the interest of their

implicit target audience with the promotion of their Sugar Baby University Program. Their

website boasts that students from all backgrounds and income levels are welcome and there is

no minimum GPA requirement. In fact, sugar babies who sign up with their .edu or student e-

mail address will receive a free Premium Membership on the website (Seeking Arrangement).

Many women report that being a sugar baby has been a strictly positive experience. In

addition to the obvious benefit of being gifted thousands of dollars, sometimes for as little as

going out to dinner with a man, there are other incentives to which different women attribute

their appreciation for the sugar baby lifestyle. Celine, a 20 year old sugar baby from London says

the she wanted a bit of control in her life and enjoys being able to filter men she does and does

not want to accept financial assistance from (Barns). She appreciates the independence from her

family and a standard day job. Also, while the extra money to spend on luxury items is nice,

Celine finds that being a sugar baby has given her financial stability for her future as well.

Women involved in the sugar industry also see it as a way to further their own business ventures.

A Montana-based sugar baby named Chelsea, states that her sugar daddy invested $15,000 into

helping her to launch her own personal training and lifestyle website, but admits that his

mentorship is what [she] valued most (Ridenour). Women are even going so far as to associate

sugaring with the feminist movement. It has been said that sugar babies are leveling the playing

field by having higher expectations of men, refusing to compromise or settle for less, and

demanding compensation for their time. Since the sugar community is still somewhat taboo,
sugar babies are each others main source of support when it comes to sugar-related matters and

that fosters a strong sense of community among these women (Kaye). The internet is

overflowing with women sharing their stories of the perfect daddy who is attractive, wealthy,

charming, sweeps them off of their feet, never expects sexual interaction, whisks them all over

the world on private vacations, and respects the decision to end the relationship when the time

comes to do so. However, it is more embarrassing to have to go on the internet and admit that

being a sugar baby, which is a position that many people in society look down on anyway, is

actually not all its cracked up to be especially if it has led to the development of mental health

issues, which have their own stigma that can prevent people from sharing their experience with

them on the internet. No one likes to hear I told you so, so people are more likely to take to the

internet to share their success stories in the sugar world

However, all that glitters is not necessarily gold. Clark Atlanta University psychology

professor Dr. Kanika Bell is quick to point out the emotional risks that come with being a sugar

baby, stating that sugar daddies can have a sense of ownership over their sugar babys time

(Meredith Corporation). It has also been discovered that the typical age difference between sugar

daddy, which usually ranges from 30 to 70, and sugar baby, which usually hovers around 18 to

26, is another cause for concern. This age difference will more than likely lead the two parties to

be unable to naturally relate, which can result in a loss of identity and sense of self for the sugar

baby. It is between these ages of 18 and 26 that young adult women are finding and establishing

who they are, and the influence of being so deeply involved with people in an entirely different

life phase during an important time of self-determination can skew that perception. It is not

uncommon, if people find out about a young womans sugar baby lifestyle, for that woman to be

ostracized in any number of ways. This can cause difficulty reaching interpersonal life goals,
such as being in a genuine romantic relationship or having children, because of the potential

consequence of not being accepted by a potential significant others family due to the stigma of

being a sugar baby. Naturally, that is emotionally hard to handle and can cause the development

of feelings of inadequacy, regret, and shame.

Sugar babies, although not technically prostitutes based on the legal definition, do fall

under the category of sex-work. It has been proven that women who are involved with the sex

work industry are at a greater risk for mental health disorders as well as psychological distress

when compared to women who are not sex workers. In a research study that took place in

Switzerland, 193 sex workers of ages ranging from 18 to 63 were questioned on their mental

health (Rossler et al.). The results of this study concluded that sex workers do, in fact, display

higher levels of anxiety and depression in comparison with non-sex working women of the

general population (Reed). Another study, which involved interviews of 854 sex workers across

9 different countries revealed that 68 percent of them met diagnostic criteria for Posttraumatic

Stress Disorder (Farley et al.). The National Alliance of Mental Illness found that 73 percent of

college students across the nation report having experienced a mental health crisis while in

college (NAMI). Considering that both being a college student and being a sex worker both

come with their own risks to a young womans mental health, combining these two factors only

make it more likely that she would experience the negative effects of a mental illness over an

extended period of time.

During my research, I couldnt help but notice one glaring gap in the discussion: male

sugar babies. Men are not exactly the first demographic that people think of when they think of a

sugar baby, however, statistics from Seeking Arrangement show that it is not uncommon for

young men to participate in sugar culture. As of February 2017 there are 1.3 million male sugar
babies registered on Seeking Arrangement alone, so it stands to reason that males are just as

prevalent among other sugar communities (Elite Daily).male sugar babies. Despite the growing

number of male sugar babies in the community, they are not discussed in the same way that

female sugar babies are because society does not sexualize men in the same way that it does

women. This is usually the case for men in sex work, just like how when the average person

thinks of a stripper or prostitute, they are much more likely to picture a woman in that lifestyle

rather than a man. Of course, we know that men do work in those fields but because women are

viewed in a more sexual role, that is the demographic most closely associated with sex work.

When people think of a sugar baby, they think of a young, attractive woman and a older

wealthy man because, due to how taboo the sugar lifestyle is, most people only know what they

have seen in popular media about sugar babies and popular media almost never shows men in

this role. It is the norm in American society to try to associate women with a more submissive

role than men in traditional relationships, so people try to apply this way of thinking to sugar

relationships as well. People expect the male figure in the sugar relationship to be the provider

when in reality, it is not uncommon to see the roles reversed.

It is important to be aware of the mental health risks of being involved in social

subcultures such as the sugar community. While not everyone will be negatively affected, it is

not uncommon for sugar babies to develop a mental illness even if it develops after they have

stopped participating in arrangements. Women who are considering becoming a sugar baby can

be blinded to that risk by the lure of money, elegant gifts, and being part of a somewhat elite

inner circle with many wealthy connections. Outsiders of the community can be hesitant to

acknowledge mental illness in sugar babies because of the typical disregard that society tends to
have for women who are involved in sex work. Society as a whole can benefit by acknowledging

the heightened risks for mental illness in even the most taboo of social groups.
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