Can virtual love become True love?
What is common with all these online virtual worlds, however, is that they are filled with real people, interacting with each other and forming friendships and possibly finding virtual love. You are spending alone time with that special person as if he or she is standing in front of you. It takes a lot more skill and imagination to create and sustain a lasting relationship in a virtual world because there are few visual cues, and no ability to touch and feel each other.
The weakness of these online dating sites of course also has its strength. There are so many people that you can reach, you are more likely to find someone who shares more of your interests than the people you meet in the real world. It makes you more available to a larger number of people to choose from, but it also does the same for someone who may be emotionally unbalanced. While such individuals also exist in the real world, you have to be careful as to whom you choose to share your personal information with.
Once you have found a likely dating match, you can take the virtual relationship to the next level, which is to set up a face to face meeting. Many people have gone on to have successful relationships and marriages to people that they meet on online dating sites.
I personally believe that most virtual relationships are real – they exist between two real people communicating across a virtual medium. The feelings, the humor, advice, empathy, and sharing all come from real people.
Virtual, by definition, is something that is not real. However the term "virtual love" does not refer to an ‘unreal love’ but rather love that develops in a virtual world. Therefore, the question becomes - can one find love in a virtual world? If so, are those feelings real or a fantasy?
Virtual worlds are fantasy worlds. Some of them are more fantastical than others. Online gaming worlds such as Second Life allows you to become anyone or anything you want to be. In here, all the physical facts are not important, such as occupation, education, race or gender.You have the freedom to love and be loved.
by Tierra Xue
Our Voice / February, 2014 25