Internet romance

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Internet romance (aka cyberlove or elationship) is a situation where two people are having a romantic relationship while communicating through the Internet. Meetings usually occur a considerable time after the two parties first meet online.

People may meet through online dating services, in online games, or through chat rooms and forums, which may or may not be themed around relationships.

One advantage in developing a romance on the Internet is the fact that by the limitations of the net itself, it encourages people to have to focus on each other's personalities. In the absence of the physical stimulation of real life interaction, people have to communicate with words to get to know one another. Many Internet romances do successfully turn into conventional relationships, and those couples also reap the advantage of already knowing each other's personalities and having also learned to communicate well together. In those aspects, a couple whose romance first began online will be ahead of that of two people meeting for the first time in real life who have not had the advantage of that prior Internet communication time. When you meet someone you have known for a length of time online, you are meeting a person who is at the same time both a stranger and also very familiar.

Some criticize Internet romance, thinking it is for the lonely or desperate. Others note that it is highly dangerous, as the person in the relationship might not be what they seem. People in Internet relationships can potentially also cheat on their real partner easily, since in many cases of Internet romance there are no physical repercussions.

[edit] Dangers

Many are skeptical about the safety of those involved in internet romance, as many are children or teenagers seeking someone to be affectionate with. Many seem to be afraid of cyberstalking, seeing it as a major threat plaguing today's younger generation; however, there have been relatively few cases of cyberstalking, in comparison to both safely successful and failed relationships.