It's obvious that the Internet has had a HUGE impact on the way that the escort industry works. Twenty years ago, high-end escorts relied heavily on secretive agencies with well-connected madams in order to succeed. Clients who wanted to play hanky-panky with an escort had to really do their homework to find an agency and become a client. Referrals were highly respected and served as a major source of new clients for escort agencies. As the Internet became more popular, the escort industry became less veiled, more available and a viable form of free enterprise for entrepreneurial individuals.

As the Internet opened up the opportunity to explore the full range of adult entertainment services, clients and escorts found they could easily hook up with each other, without the involvement of a madam or requiring either of them to run in selective social circles to gain an introduction. As it stands now, prospective clients have the entire industry at their fingertips.

Knowing that the escort industry has been revolutionized and irreversibly altered, it also makes sense that the escorts involved in the industry have evolved, too. New faces in the crowd come from women who probably would have never explored the business, if not for the Internet. Here are some examples about how the escorts, themselves, have changed as the industry expanded:

1. Escorts are more educated than ever before. While it always served a woman to use her smarts in her role as an escort, it was rare to find providers with graduate and professional degrees from respected colleges and universities working in the industry. Courtesans in the medieval times were known for their wit, charm and intelligence; but, they were never formally educated. Before the twenty-first century, it was rare for a woman to have been schooled beyond an undergraduate degree. It was quite common for women working through school to undertake escort careers to help pay for their educations, but the respectable thing for them to do was to quit once they acquired their degrees. Now, however, the escort industry is a prime opportunity for women with management, marketing and business educations (and others) to immerse themselves into a lucrative career option that provides flexibility, higher income and increased demand for services. Educated escorts apply their knowledge to the business-side of their careers and lure in other professionals of their chosen fields as clients.
2. Some escorts come from privileged lifestyles. Years ago, women who had trust funds and drove their daddy's sports cars weren't interested in dabbling in the escort world. However, many inheritance-rich women are drawn into the industry. Some seek it out to satisfy their curiosities; others enter into it because they are bored. Many find that it's an effective way to make a lot of money, still feel pampered and establish connections that will help them in future careers as models, actresses or singers.
3. Ambitious women seek out the industry as a way to gain upward social mobility. The elite social circles have long been unavailable to poor, young women, despite their beauty or talents. However, women who are smart and savvy can easily slip into high society as an escort if she learns ways to be accepted. Dressing well, creating a polished image, learning about conversation topics of the very rich and honing her man-handling skills can land an under-privileged woman encounters with men who are filthy rich and powerful. After attracting a couple of these types of clients, she can easily slip in and out of elite circles as she chooses. But, gaining acceptance requires the creativity and communication skills to develop and deliver an image that will hold up with clients who want to believe they are seeing a woman worth their time.
4. Many escorts have entered the industry simply because they see the demand for providers increasing. In an economy where many corporations are downsizing and issuing across-the-board lay-offs, starting a career in an industry that is expanding is not only attractive, but it's also smart. Women who would have never thought to become escorts are seeing the career as a reasonable profession due to the number of clients who are currently looking for companions. Business consultants from coast to coast stress the importance of ensuring that there is high demand for a product before you go into business with it. Sex is always a hot commodity. But, in an age where sex is openly sought by millions of men each day, the industry is more-than stable for an escort who wants to create a solid career for herself.
5. Escorts experience fewer barriers upon entering the industry. Women who wanted to become escorts in times before the Internet often found themselves walking the streets, picking up clients in nightclubs or working for pimps, waiting for their chances to be "discovered" by a successful madam or high-end agency owner. Some of them may have worked as exotic dancers in clubs or did private parties. But, their chances of breaking into the high-end escort world were slim, unless they knew someone involved in it. The escort society was secretive and highly selective, protecting itself with its discretion and exclusivity. However, escorts don't have to rely on others to break into the industry any longer. Posting an escort profile on a directory or buying advertising on any number of adult-oriented sites is simple and convenient now. Of course, an escort has to market herself well to fully enter the industry, but the major barriers that once existed are no longer obstacles.
6. More escorts are naive about the industry and the clients they expect to visit with. Many people appreciate the anonymity that goes along with their presence on the Internet. Online, everybody can be "friends", without worry about safety, risk or lack of discretion. Virtually, you can create yourself into whomever you want to be. And, many people fall for false images that are carried out online. Escorts who enter the industry without much real-world experience may expect that all of their encounters will take place with handsome, rich gentlemen at luxury hotels. These naive attitudes often bring escorts to the industry, only to discover that the "athletically-built 40-ish banking professional" client they've set up an encounter with is really a sweaty, bald 59-year old toothless bank teller who saved his pennies up for a visit with a pretty girl at the Super 8. (Some clients are worse: they are dangerous and violent.) Escorts of previous generations had realistic perceptions of the industry, knowing that it isn't all wine and roses.
7. Escorts of today can find out what they need to know for success from the Internet. Previously, escorts sought mentors in the profession to help them learn the tricks of the trade. But, information about anything in the world is available online, including how to be an escort. From tips about asking for your monetary payment up front to ways to organize your independent escort business, details are accessible to anyone who can complete a search on the Internet. Mentors are no longer needed; any information an escort needs can be found, including support from other escorts through online forums or chats. New escorts enter the industry knowing how to prepare themselves, what to bring to an encounter and how to act in various situations, which previously took several experiences to figure out.
8. Niche escorts are increasingly common compared to the pre-Internet industry. Escorts who practice sub/dom activities, water sports, Greek entrance and foot worship are easy to find online. BBW and Goth escorts are easily located with just a few mouse clicks in any escort directory. Years ago, clients who wanted something different from traditional escort encounters had difficulties finding what they were looking for. Fetish escorts or providers who didn't fit the conventional mold (Emo, Goth or BBW escorts, for instance) were much more difficult to locate. Even after asking around in the appropriate cliques, clients might not be able to stumble upon an escort to fulfill their fantasies. Clients don't have to be embarrassed to ask a madam to find an escort who will participate in hard sports with him; he just looks online, in privacy, for an escort who can fulfill his fantasy.
9. Alternative lifestyle escorting has expanded significantly. In the industry 20 years ago, gay male escorts were tolerated, but never really accepted. They didn't have roles in high-end agencies, nor was there an openly-strong market for their services. However, today with the Internet, inhibitions are discarded in privacy as straight male clients seek out gay male escorts for experimentation and fun. Lesbian escorts find much more business than they ever did before, and in an era where women are able to embrace their own sexuality, straight male escorts have up and coming careers that weren't possible before the Internet provided a portal for exploration.
10. Escorts who enter the industry post-Internet have many options, despite choosing the lifestyle. Previously, many escorts (not all of them) felt desperate for money and fell into selling themselves for income. Their career choices weren't something that was really a choice for them; they needed money and felt like only commodities of value they had to offer were their bodies. By no means were they coerced or trafficked, but they had to make hard decisions without a lot of options. But, today's escorts often have many opportunities. Because escorting appears to be a success-oriented career, many elect to take it for a test drive.
11. Escorts aren't always cookie-cutter beautiful. Twenty or 30 years ago, high-end escorts were typically gorgeous, fit and nearly perfect. The agencies were exclusive and permitted only who they considered to be the cream of the crop to work for them. Today, though, standards are completely different. Independent escorts do quite well, despite any imperfections they may have. A few wrinkles, a couple of extra pounds or an imperfect smile don't matter when there is such a high number of clients to go around. And because many clients have different preferences, escorts of all shapes, sizes and appearances are desired. Escorts are no longer required to fit a specific mold.
12. Escorts view their careers differently today. Previously, many escorts viewed their professions as opportunities for independence and access to better lifestyles. But, escorts have evolved to embrace their femininity, sexuality and power through their success with clients. They find encounters liberating and exciting. Loving the rebellion from society's values and enjoying the influence they have over otherwise powerful individuals, escorts find the career fulfilling for other reasons than money and meeting interesting people.
13. Escorts are all ages. Previously, high-end agencies preferred to hire young women who appealed to traditional clients. However, clients in the real world of the Internet are looking for all ages. Escorts from late teen years and those in their 50s may have equally successful careers. "Cougars" and "MILFs" are common search terms for escorts, and many more mature escorts are gravitating toward the industry, finding great demand for what they have to offer.