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Since cyber relationships are basically the only type of new relationship anybody can form right now, there are a lot of them developing. It’s not like anyone can meet up for a first date whenever they feel like it. Speed dating events have come to a close. Every singles bar you know of has been shut down. Even that dog park that everyone knows is a singles park is closed. We humans don’t have the luxury of choosing to meet someone in person when we want to get to know someone. That makes this a strange time for single people. A lot of people have accepted the new world order, and are actively dating online. The rules and expectations are still foggy, but people are giving it a go. And it’s uplifting to see how people still have hope of finding love, even in a time when we can’t be together in the conventional sense. However, the coronavirus has only intensified the risks that can come with online romance.
Remember that, even before people weren’t allowed to meet up in person, there were thousands of people who chose to keep their relationships online. They were shy. They were socially awkward. They were catfishing the person and not who they said they were. Now, almost everyone is forced to keep new relationships strictly online. But…there are a lot of risks associated with that. I don’t just mean the risks of being catfished and handing your bank account information to a stranger, but risks of the heart. A cyber relationship isn’t a real relation—it’s a pseudo-relationship. But our hopes and expectations are real, and so we can be hurt. Here are some of the emotional pitfalls of a cyber relationship.
You only talk when you’re “on”
If your relationship only exists online with someone, then you have the option to only speak to him when you’re feeling cheery, perky, positive, interesting, entertaining—you know. Your best self. And you will choose that option over the times you’re a bit down or tired, every time. But that doesn’t give an accurate representation of who you are.
