I get this in a way with amateur stuff. Things like Gonewild used to be filled with people posting out of love of the game. Now it's just onlyfans ads.
I know, right? I've been jerking it a few decades. It's probably more real now than it's ever been with anyone basically being able to make and share it, but it's still fake.
I think with social media allowing content creation to be accessible and viable as a career there's been an influx of people using it to make money but I don't think that's new, just more noticable and in your face than it used to be. In the end there's a really wide spectrum of behavior involved and just because someone is selling, or hoping to at least, doesn't make what they put out there less earnest. It still takes a lot of courage and put yourself in a vulnerable position to expose yourself in the internet regardless of the situation.
It has made it harder to sift through and determine what's an advertisement vs genuine content though and it can be frustrating so I understand where you're coming from.
I don't think so. There's a whole spectrum between exhibitionist amateurs, those who earn some money to finance their kinky hobby (new video equipment, lingerie, sextoys...) and freelancers who end up making a living working from home, producing the same content week after week.
Production values are low. There's tonnes of meh porn made by anyone with a cellphone.
If there's a studio behind it, and they have to pay for distribution, actors, etc, then they're going to do stuff that sells. They also have a director and a camera operator to make sure everything's in focus and looks good.
If you watch small independent creators there is good content.
I also watch a lot of vr contentand that tends to be more intimate as the camera is a few cm to a few feet away with the camera just Infront of the performers head.
You do know that Ajlo (used to be called mindgeek) owns most of the big studios as well as porn hub.
Then there are a few medium sized companies like sarj that own hustler and met art and paper streat media that own teamskeet. There are not that many companies.