LOVE BYTES (Online Affairs)
Monday, August 4th, 2008Thrilling, adventurous. Sexually highly-charged. The same emotions and excitement as an affair: all the trimmings, none of the guilt!
Surely an Online Affair is NOT the real thing? After all, some say, since there is no physical contact involved, it should be ok. In fact, this is very much like an interactive video game: it’s virtual. And surely one should have the freedom to explore oneself in the safe world of virtual reality without so much scrutiny. For one thing it is such a welcome escape from the real world: A fantasy world full of new experiences.
A typical scenario may go like this:
You find a new and exciting someone who finds you just as exciting. You get a chance to present your best side all over again. (So does the other, but you both know this!) You share your hopes and your fantasies… even your fears. This intense sharing brings you closer and closer together. It’s a heady feeling; you experience some of the most intense feelings you’ve ever had. You idealize this new online relationship. You’re in euphoria…….
You now fantasize about being more than just friends. You become infatuated with your friend and want more and more interaction. You feel like you’re “in love”. All this is great and fantastic and fun and “really on” – unless you already have a partner in the real world!
When your real-life partner gets wind of your online friend, you either rationalize your online activity or deny it altogether. When your partner becomes increasingly suspicious and therefore becomes threatened by this development, you will either deny it or ignore it.
As your partner feels betrayed, hurt, jealous, and angry and becomes more and more devastated, you assure yourself that since there’s no actual sex involved, it is not really cheating. And naturally you become closer to your friend and more distant from your partner….
You may now want to meet your online friend in person. In fact you feel like you two are “soul-mates” and meant for each other! You “risk it all” to meet your online friend. You meet and have sex. Or you don’t and feel like star-crossed lovers. Either way, your life has changed in ways you never intended: This spells the end of your online relationship – and maybe your real-life one too….
So, contrary to what some people think, Online Affairs are not harmless at all. They can cause a lot of heartache and pain. Most online affairs lead to the diminishing or destruction of primary relationships – although this was never intended. And many people recognize that they should have known what they were getting into but conveniently “blocked it out”.
The most common lament: “I didn’t intend to have an affair.” 
Even when the affair remains “virtual”, the effects are real and can be just as emotionally painful and devastating to the partner as an actual sexual affair. It is the lack of caring felt by the partner when these hurt feelings are ignored or dismissed as unreasonable, that is far more of a threat to the relationship than the “affairs” themselves.
When it comes to Online Affairs, it’s not so much a question of whether it is “wrong,” but rather if it is “smart.” We need to look at why they are so enticing and find some other avenue rooted in reality for igniting the positive “alive” feelings that these affairs can offer. And also to focus on how the affair may be symptom of a larger relationship problem…
· You are currently having an internet romance.
· You have been hurt by your “online friend”.
· You are considering having an internet relationship.
There are Support Centers to help you… 
Next: The different types of Online Affairs…







