by Sarah Williams

Created on: September 28, 2007

While virtual relationships are certainly on the rise due to the many hundreds of social networks and the basic accessibility to others with seemingly similar interests, there is still not substitute for a "real life" relationship.

Humans are creatures that need social interaction with their own kind on both a mental and physical level. While the Internet provides a forum for people to interact freely through mental devices, there is no physical aspect to this. People who shut themselves away in dark rooms with only the light of a computer monitor to guide them eventually become very sad and depressed people. While it is not physically healthy to stay locked up in front of a computer, it is mentally unhealthy as well.

This is not to say that some of the great websites like "Match.com" and "E-Harmony", which actually bring people together on a virtual level with the distinct intention of having them meet in real life are bad, quite the contrary, they are quite wonderful. The point is that people who use the technology available to find the right person are intelligent, people who try to substitute the virtual for the real life are not so intelligent.

Will a virtual partner hold you at night? Will they provide a physical shoulder for you to cry on when things aren't going well in your life? Will a virtual partner be there next to you in the morning to greet you with a smile? I think not...there is no substitute for reality.

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