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Virtual relationships aren't taking precedence over real life relationships in the broad scheme of things, although case specific, it might look like some are.

While I know there is the occasional non-stop chat junkie who ventures way over the moderation line and spends so much time on the computer and disregards the rest of their physical existence and life altogether, it is not a fair representation of the general population. These are the people who wake up just to log on and stay there until they go to sleep again. Personal hygiene begins to slip, nutrition becomes poor, their living quarters tends to be in disarray, and exercise is obtained exclusively in a limited area of their body between the phalanges and the forearms.

But that is an extreme scenario and this sort of behavior can't be compared to the masses overall. The excessive virtual chatter (barring any physical handicaps) is trying to avoid something in their life and is usually a victim of intense lack of self worth in their world. In this type of life, the computer is the escape, and the people whom they choose to commune with are playing a role of socialization surrogacy.

There are an infinite number of reasons why people migrate toward the virtual world, not least of which is the intention to gain a sort of psychological stroking. For myself, my need to expand on my formal sociological and psychological education by studying the dynamics of online relationships has caused me to imbed a fairly significant portion of my own life into the virtual realm for the better part of six years now.

The virtual world is a fairly complex realm. While I'm doubtful the original intentions were to be so, the people who utilize it have set the rules, and it has become a fairly involved psychology. The online forum brings people together based on mind and thought. By the users' design, it works to fill a void that a person's life can't seem to manage to fill for them. It can bring a sense of wholeness to a life that seems mundane and empty with no direction.

From what I've learned, the vast majority of people who wish to develop a relationship online are attempting to seek love and affection without judgment of their personal looks, body stature, quirks and what they might perceive as personal imperfections. It is also a place where you can feel like you have a voice and people within your chosen online community embrace what you have to say. Because the mind is the driving force, developing relationships can be

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