Original182 wrote...
Riona45 wrote...
Original182 wrote...
This is the key. I'll use a word that someone already used.
I find people OBSESSED with virtual romances worrying. That's what I meant by "taking it too seriously". That is why in my original post I compared it to "The Wedding of ____ and ___" flowery threads on facebook.
Oh I'm sure that's the perfect way to read someone's mind and determine if they are obsessed--by a fictional story posted on the internet.
But my post wasn't directed at anyone in particular. I was just chipping in my opinion. So I'll apologize if I hijacked the thread a bit, but I think it has spawn new mini-discussions not related to the title.
But that's what I'm saying, are people who are obsessed with virtual romances, worrying?
Well, I have a couple of thoughts on this, although I'm not positive on anything:
-Is obsession with anything worrying? Everyone has quirks and eccentricities. If we are defining "obsession" as something that intereferes with your life and your ability to have relationships with other people, yes, it is worrying.
-However, I think a big point of this thread is that most people are not 'obsessed' with their virtual romances. They're able to compartmentalize and maintain their emotional reactions as part of a virtual romance as part of their hobby, just as they would with enjoying any other fiction.
-If you feel that this is a trend, it is a little worrisome. In an era of Twitter and cel phones, we are increasingly isolated from real, face-to-face contact and interaction with fellow people. I don't find it too disturbing if there's a person on each end ('mutual consenting adults' and all that), but it is alarming as a feature of greater social disconnectedness.