Internet Relationship
Internet Relationship: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
We live in a world where the World Wide Web is ever present and an Internet relationship has the same validity as a real world interaction. It is so common and accepted today that we do not even think twice about the fact that there are many people we consider friends whom we do not meet often. While there were pen pals and long distance friendships in earlier times, the Internet has accelerated the speed of contact and enabled a sense of heightened connection with the whole world not just our immediate community.
The Internet and various website have allowed us to form networks of friends spread across the world. It has helped many find like-minded people and it has helped some find the partner of their dreams. Gone are the days when one had to think only in terms of networking with people whom one gets to meet – whether at school, work or a party. Today’s reality is friendships formed through flowing Web exchanges. This has been hugely enabling for many sections of the world population who did not feel like they had access to the right networking tools. Women in repressed societies have found a voice and a way to connect to the world, disenfranchised groups have used the Internet to express their point of view and it has become possible to mobilize people around causes in a matter of minutes. All this is the best part of Internet relationship building and networking. The question now is, is this always a blessing?
As with all new technology, the Internet is also going through stages of adoption. As more and more people take to the Web we are seeing more and more disparate uses of this space and this concept. And as with most things in life, with the good comes the bad. The Internet has allowed people to connect because of the ease with which we can sit at home and talk to someone across the globe. This has come with a great deal of anonymity and this has meant that unsavory people are able to use the Internet relationship model to build exploitative and abusive relationships. Pedophiles and stalkers have found that the Internet allows them to hide their identity and prey on unsuspecting human beings. It has expanded their playing field and made it that much harder for law enforcement to keep sex offenders and such people in check.
An Internet relationship can evolve into a beautiful friendship, a lasting marriage or a nightmarish stalking. The truth is that there is no easy way of predicting the course of any relationship in the early days. The rough guideline to follow, especially if you are a teenager, is to not give your private information to a stranger. It is better to be careful and seem cautious than to have to deal with loss of privacy.
This brings us to the other major component of an Internet relationship. While it affords a semblance of privacy, in truth the privacy is very dependent on the good judgment of all the parties involved. One click of a button very often leads to private details becoming public scandal because very often people share more than is healthy because they have felt cocooned in their own living rooms or basements.
There are people still learning the ropes in this virtual world and there are others who are fully savvy in knowing its pros and cons. Those who know it well and understand its merits and demerits are cautious but happy to have this fantastic window to the world. As each user gets to that point, there may be less cause for concern about the bad aspects of an Internet relationship because by then it will be like every other real world connection.