Mutual masturbation is an amazingly fun time and a great way to learn a lot about partner. There's always some form of power exchange when it comes to sex, but mutual masturbation is something that seems to level the playing field, so to speak. I feel that it encourages intimacy and communication.
-You get to learn about their porn habits and maybe some things you didn't know turned them on.
-You get to encourage one another during the process if you're someone who struggles with dirty talk.
-You can just touch yourself, together, or you can play with each other.
-It's generally not performative and you're both just having fun and sharing something you would usually do alone.
My first sexual experiences were like this. We didn't know what we were doing, but we stroked each other until we came. It was fun! And we could contrast our physical differences