Love at First Byte

Facebook is a great tool to connect with friends and family all over the world. I have been using it for a year now and it never ceases to surprise me.

Recently, I received a message from a "long lost" friend of mine, who found me on Facebook. It was great to re-connect after 17 years of absence.

What was special about meeting Kim was that he was the first person who introduced me to the Internet. In those days, it was cool to get online on his apple Mac and chat on real-time to hundreds of geeks linked-up through servers. IRC (Internet Relay Chat) was then, the new fad.

This trip down memory lane really made me think about the role of the Internet and how it has changed the way we socialize and communicate.

I met my ex-husband through IRC. I recalled waking up early in the morning to catch him online and sitting there late at night to say "goodnight". Naturally, nothing could compare to getting to know that person face-to-face.

Today, with the whole social media and web 2.0 movement. We do not have to connect in real time as we are able to "leave love messages" for each other on Twitter, screen profiles on online dating website, "wink" or "poke" someone we find interesting. Anything and everything is possible and online dating has never been easier! :)

Amy* met her husband on a dating forum. Her excuse was "I am a full-time working mother and do not have the time to sit at bars or go to parties. At my age, I know what I want and don't want. The internet gives me the possibility to date again."

Tina* had a long and winding online and offline romance for 2 years before she decided to move-in and move to another country to be with Bob*. In her words "I wanted to be sure and I can't trust 100% who I meet on the internet. My values remain the same and I rely mostly on my gut feeling. I am grateful though that it had made it possible for me and Bob* to come together."

Another friend, Sandra* broke up with Jim* after 10 years. She went online and posted her profile up. The streaming amount of compliments and show of interest, made her feel good but it didn't change reality - she needed to get her life back on perspective first. In her own words, "It was fun and it made me feel good but first I need to get back to my reality."

Throughout the years and listening to friends share their stories it is evident that the way we socialize has changed so much. The Internet will continue to grow and find new ways to entice its audience but it shouldn't change the person we are. Our values must remain the same for any relationship to be successful - online or offline.

* Note: Please note that the names mentioned in the above post are fictional.