Technology has made initiating and maintaining relationships via the internet possible. Every notion has two sides to it, a positive and a negative one; virtual love is no different.
Online dating sites have become increasingly popular. Virtual dating allows privacy and anonymity, which appeals to young people as it allows them control over various parameters including the personality they wish to project. This may seem harmless, but caution is advised as people can have negative intentions which may be revealed much too late. They may portray themselves in one way while an actual meeting reveals their true selves.
The options in the virtual realm are endless. The term sexting was coined to mean sex texting, defined as sending sexually-explicit photos, images, text messages, or emails. Most often such text messages are descriptions of what one partner would like to do sexually. There may be explicit pictures of oneself, too.
Problems arise when such texts are misused or carelessly made available for others to see. Engaging in sexting with strangers can be perilous and without restrain, such fun can turn into an addiction. Reality then becomes a blur and tangible human contact becomes meaningless. Some men are sexually aroused only by virtual love; in a marriage this can pose a problem.
Virtual sex partners may depict sexual acts in the belief that it will remain virtual. This can, however, raise expectations if the partners are provided with the opportunity to be physically intimate. Virtual adultery is one of the most spoken about concerns today. Experts argue that adultery falls under many categories, of which virtual cheating is one.
Humans are social beings who mate for life and enjoy physical contact for various reasons. So why do people engage in virtual sex in spite of the risks? One attraction is the friskiness of virtual sex. It is found to be helpful to couples in long-distance relationships and where one spouse or both travel often. Intimacy and sexual chemistry are well sustained.
Certain safeguards will go a long way in making virtual love meaningful. For instance, it may be smart not to divulge personal details to strangers while chatting online or develop intimate attachments based solely on verbal transactions. Sexting should be done with the utmost confidence and trust in the partner with whom one is interacting. And, care must be taken to protect such data.
The choice to engage in virtual love rests entirely with the individual. The key is to remember that like real sex, cybersex or virtual sex must involve two consenting adults. When the non-adulterous couple is aware of what they are involved in, have taken precaution, and are excited by the idea of it, the sky is the limit.
